The Ministry said that the flying object was seen near the Latvian-Belarusian border and crossed it in the Krāslava region.
Fighter jets of the NATO Air Policing Mission from the Lielvārde military base scrambled to search the area but found no suspicious objects in Latvian airspace and returned to base.
Later on Tuesday the 'object' was identified as a flock of birds – not an unusual thing to see at this time of year, particularly with large numbers of migratory birds flying south for the winter. The precise species was not specified.
The LETA news agency reported that airspace monitoring devices had detected a flock of birds but no other suspicious objects were seen.
Prime Minister Evika Siliņa (New Unity) reiterated that the public must be informed when unidentified objects approach Latvia. Defense Minister Andris Sprūds (Progressives) added that the jets were airborne as it was at first impossible to say what the "object" was.
The Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of the Interior call on residents to report suspicious objects or activities in the Latvian border area immediately by calling 112.
While the apparent false alarm may have ruffled a few feathers, it remains to be seen if anyone is left with egg on their faces other than media outlets including this one which reported the 'UFO' unaware of its avian rather than alien origin.
However, the flypast may prove to have been useful in ways other than demonstrating the speed with which interceptors can reach the border zone.
As reported by LSM's Latvian language service, the heads of municipalities in the region said they had received information quite quickly today, prompting discussions about how systems of civil notification can be further improved so that in the case of a more serious incident, the public and agencies can respond in an efficient and appropriate manner.
