Latvian journalists attacked by Russian drone in Donetsk Oblast

A crew from Latvian public broadcaster LSM came under attack from a Russian first-person view (FPV) drone while travelling to the positions of a Ukrainian unit in Donetsk Oblast to film a report.

LSM journalist Odita Krenberga and cameraman Aigars Kovalevskis were travelling to film a story about a Latvian from the town of Alūksne, who goes by the alias NATO and is serving with a Ukrainian Air Assault Brigade.

The journalists came under attack while travelling to the positions with Aleksandrs, the Latvian fighter whose story they were filming. Despite strong winds, a snowstorm and poor visibility, a Russian FPV drone lay in wait at a bend where vehicles had to slow, a spot clearly targeted in advance.

The drone exploded near the car, sending shrapnel into the rear of the vehicle and shattering the windows. Aleksandrs avoided a direct hit by spotting the danger and accelerating. No one was injured.

LSM editor-in-chief Anita Brauna said the LSM team is aware of the risks it faces when travelling to Ukraine's defenders and documenting the reality of the war. She noted that such a presence makes it possible to record the true face of the war, however dangerous and brutal it might be. Brauna added that the broadcaster highly values the work and courage of its journalists, emphasising that independent journalism in such circumstances serves as an essential counterbalance to false and manipulative narratives.

In October 2025, French photojournalist Antoni Lallican was killed while working near Druzhkivka in Donetsk Oblast.

Also in October, a team from German media outlet Welt was injured in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast due to a strike by a Russian Lancet drone.