The sound of a war that isn't there

A feature story from Eastern Latvia for RAAM and Magasinet rØST.
June 11, 2026 Reading: 1 min
The empty oil depot in Rēzekne that was hit by a drone last month.
The empty oil depot in Rēzekne that was hit by a drone last month.

In recent weeks, multiple Ukrainian drones have crashed in the Latvian region of Latgale, one of NATO’s easternmost territories. The drones had probably been on their way to attack the likes of Moscow or Saint Petersburg, but due to Russian GPS jamming ended up in the Baltic states.

Apart from the dangerous situations caused by these crashes, the incidents aggravate Latgale’s already dire economic situation. Cities like Rēzekne and Daugavpils, once vibrant trading hubs, are now on the tail end of the train service from the Latvian capital Riga. The region heavily depends on tourism, and the drone threat is causing people to cancel their visits.

I visited the cities of Rēzekne and Ludza and spoke with locals, including a coffee entrepreneur who fears his business will not make it through the upcoming winter. The article has been published in Dutch by RAAM, and in Danish by Magasinet rØST.

Local entrepreneur Oskars, who runs the only coffee roastery in Latgale
Local entrepreneur Oskars, who runs the only coffee roastery in Latgale.

PS: Curious about Oskars’ coffee? Check out KUUP. I tried it. It’s good.