Speaking at a press conference, Andris Spruds said: “Seeing the importance of drones in warfare, and guided by Ukraine’s own experience, we can announce the launch of our Drone Capability Initiative this year - metaphorically, we can say we’re building a drone army.”

Not only did he promise that Latvia would allocate €20 million this year to boost Ukraine’s drone capacity, but he also confirmed that another €20 million would be spent improving Latvia’s own drone capabilities.

As things stand, a drone testing site is set to debut at the new Selija military base in June.

Sprudis also announced a 20-team 24-hour hackathon event aimed at developing new technologies, and the introduction of drone pilot training courses.

“We are strengthening our overall [drone] ecosystem,” he added. “At the same time, we are creating, developing and delivering these technologies to both our own armed forces and to support Ukraine.”

Asked if his announcement was related to the “drone wall” recently announced by Norway, Poland, Finland and the Baltic States, Spruds emphasized that Latvia had already started harnessing drones long before.

The commander of the Latvian National Armed Forces (NBS) added: “Drones did not come to us on February 24, 2022, they entered the military sphere twenty years back.”

He continued: “It is a matter of long-term national defense, we do not want to be dependent on suppliers, but promote our own local industry and combat capabilities.”