Latvia's Defense Minister Quits After Drone Incident

May 11, 2026, 14:56
EuropePolitics

Introduction

The Defense Minister of Latvia left his job. This happened because Ukrainian drones flew into Latvia and hit a fuel center.

Main Body

Two drones flew into Latvia on May 7. One drone hit oil tanks near the Russian border. There was a fire. Schools closed for a short time. The Prime Minister told the minister to leave because he did not prepare the country for drones. A man named Raivis Melnis is the new minister. Other countries like Poland and Finland also have this problem. Ukraine says Russia used special radio signals to move the drones. Russia wanted the drones to hit NATO countries instead of Russian targets. French planes flew in the air, but they could not stop the small drones. Other countries like Romania and Lithuania also changed their defense leaders in 2025. The Baltic countries now want more money for drone defense. They want to keep their people safe from the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Conclusion

Latvia has a new defense minister. The country needs better tools to stop drones in the sky.

Learning

🌍 Talking about the Past

In this news story, we see a pattern for talking about things that already happened. We use Past Simple verbs to tell a story.

The Pattern:

  • Action Word →\rightarrow Past Form
  • Leave →\rightarrow Left
  • Happen →\rightarrow Happened
  • Fly →\rightarrow Flew
  • Hit →\rightarrow Hit (Stayed the same!)
  • Tell →\rightarrow Told

Why this helps you reach A2: To move from A1 to A2, you must stop talking only about 'now' and start talking about 'yesterday.'

Quick Examples from the text:

  • "The Minister left his job." (He is not there now).
  • "Two drones flew into Latvia." (This happened on May 7).
  • "Schools closed." (They are open again now).

Key Tip: Watch out for 'irregular' words like fly and leave. They don't end in '-ed', so you just have to memorize them!

Vocabulary Learning

defense (n.)
the action of protecting something from danger or harm
Example:The defense of the country is important.
drone (n.)
an unmanned aircraft that flies without a pilot
Example:The drone flew over the city.
border (n.)
the line that separates two countries
Example:They crossed the border.
fire (n.)
combustion that produces heat and light
Example:There was a fire in the building.
school (n.)
a place where children learn
Example:The school is closed today.
closed (adj.)
not open
Example:The store is closed.
short (adj.)
not long
Example:It was a short meeting.
time (n.)
a point or period in the past, present, or future
Example:We have no time.
country (n.)
a nation with its own government
Example:He loves his country.
prepare (v.)
to make ready
Example:She prepares for exams.
new (adj.)
not old or previously known
Example:He has a new book.
stop (v.)
to halt movement
Example:They stopped the car.