The State Security Service (VDD) has issued a renewed call for Latvian residents to avoid traveling to Russia and Belarus.
Anticipating that the number of people traveling to aggressor states may increase during the holiday season and school summer break, the VDD reminds that such travel involves high risks of intelligence activities, recruitment attempts, and provocations. The service emphasizes that Latvian authorities have limited capacity to assist their nationals if they encounter difficulties in Russia or Belarus.
The VDD has observed that
Russian and Belarusian intelligence services aggressively use opportunities to question and recruit foreigners on their territory,
where they enjoy broad freedom of action.
“Intelligence officers from these countries will not hesitate to use aggressive and illegal methods on their territory to coerce individuals into cooperation,” the VDD warns.
The service points out that individuals at particularly high risk of recruitment include officials from state and municipal institutions, law enforcement officers, persons whose profession grants access to information related to the National Armed Forces or NATO allies, representatives of strategically important companies, and individuals involved in providing support to Ukraine. Russian intelligence services also consider Latvian nationals who regularly travel to Russia for work, family, property, or other ties to be convenient targets for pressure.
If travel to either aggressor country is unavoidable, the VDD advises against taking your personal mobile phone, especially if it contains work-related or sensitive information. Data can be extracted from the phone at border checkpoints, and it may also be infected with spyware. A safer option would be to use a prepaid phone that can be disposed of after the trip. Likewise, do not take laptops, USB drives, or other data carriers.
The VDD warns that recruitment attempts in Russia and Belarus can begin right at the border, where intelligence officers may pose as border guards or officials from other institutions, including law enforcement.
Valuable information can be extracted even during casual conversations.
Signs that may indicate contact with representatives of Russian or Belarusian intelligence services include unusually thorough checks and questioning during border crossings, being interviewed by someone in civilian clothing instead of a uniformed officer, being asked questions unrelated to border control – such as about the situation in Latvia, opinions on events in Ukraine, Ukrainian refugees in Latvia, or Latvia’s support for Ukraine – as well as personal questions about your workplace, duties, financial situation, etc. Other signs include being accused of a violation or crime in an attempt to coerce cooperation in exchange for avoiding punishment, or being given a phone number to call on your next visit.
In case of suspicion or confirmed contact with Russian or Belarusian intelligence operatives, the VDD urges individuals to report the incident by calling the service.
Read also: Zelensky appoints new commander of land forces