At Birdwhistles Guesthouse, in a rustic two-storey wooden barn in the Latvian forest 50 km from the Russian border, all eight rooms are vacant, which absolutely never happens ​this time of year, says the owner, Martins Kiscenko. Two wedding parties had been booked to ‌stay, but the couples cancelled at the last minute, because they didn’t want their guests to have to scramble for shelter from a drone alert. Eastern Latvia is an extraordinarily tranquil and picturesque woodland region known as the Land of Blue Lakes, where there’s ​usually not a huge amount to do, which is exactly why tourists come every summer. There’s fishing in ​the cold clear waters. Birdwatching. Hiking through forests of birches straight as poles. And ⁠at the end of the day, maybe singing some folk songs in a cozy cabin.

Full report : Fear of Ukrainian drones empties the guesthouses in Latvia’s Land of Blue Lakes.