According to the Latvian National Armed Forces, a state of alert was declared in the eastern districts of the country, including Rēzekne, Ludza, and Krāslava, on both May 20 and 21. In response to the threat, NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission fighter jets were put on alert, and additional air defense units were dispatched to the eastern border.

The drone incidents sparked a serious political crisis in Latvia, leading to the resignation of Defense Minister Andris Spruds and the subsequent collapse of the entire government. Earlier, on May 19, a NATO aircraft shot down a Ukrainian drone over Estonia, and Lithuania's leadership was evacuated to shelters.

In this regard, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) stated that Kyiv is preparing a series of strikes against Russia from Latvian territory and warned of "just retaliation." Moscow also asserts that the coordinates of decision-making centers on Latvian territory are well known, and that the country's NATO membership will not protect it from retaliation.