Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs has said there is currently no direct military threat from Russia, but warned that the public should remain vigilant against possible hybrid threats and acts of sabotage.
Speaking after a meeting with Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs at Riga Castle on Wednesday, Rinkēvičs said NATO and European Union member states regularly exchange intelligence, analytical assessments and other security information.
“At the moment, we do not see a direct military threat,” the president said. “However, we cannot rule out hybrid operations, one of which has already been taking place on Latvia’s border with Belarus since 2021.”
Rinkēvičs stressed that various forms of sabotage also cannot be excluded and encouraged residents to remain alert and report any suspicious activity.
He said
Latvia’s security services are working closely with allied countries to analyse intelligence
and noted that many potential threats have already been prevented.
“Given that Russia remains bogged down in Ukraine and is unpredictable, countries on NATO’s eastern flank are paying increased attention to various warning signs and continue doing everything necessary to ensure security,” Rinkēvičs said.
In recent weeks, officials from several Baltic and other regional countries have warned that Russia’s prolonged war in Ukraine increases the risk that Moscow could seek opportunities to provoke or target a NATO member on the Alliance’s eastern flank.
Addressing Latvia’s preparedness to respond to possible provocations and hybrid attacks, the president said the country’s security agencies, as well as the interior and defence sectors, continuously assess the evolving security situation.
Rinkēvičs noted that
Latvia’s highest state officials receive regular briefings from security institutions on ongoing investigations and operations,
many of which have already produced tangible results.
He added that the public is informed whenever investigations reach the stage of formal charges or arrests, but acknowledged that the nature of intelligence and security work means many operations cannot be disclosed immediately.
“Can we predict everything and be prepared for absolutely everything? No, and we should honestly admit that. That is precisely why it is called the ‘grey zone’,” the president said.
He also observed that public discussion on security has intensified in recent months, partly because reports and speculation frequently emerge that are not always confirmed. At the same time, the security environment changes rapidly, with previously pressing concerns giving way to new challenges.
Rinkēvičs praised the work of Latvia’s security agencies,
the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Defence, and other institutions, while urging the public to understand that not all information can be released immediately.
“Security is never a finished result—it is a constantly evolving process. It is impossible to prevent every single threat. I believe we are responding appropriately, but every day brings new challenges,” he said.
The president also announced that Latvia’s National Security Council was due to review intelligence assessments on Wednesday, including issues related to election security, technological safeguards and contingency plans in case polling stations are unable to operate because of air raid alerts or other emergencies.
According to Rinkēvičs, Parliament is currently considering legislation addressing such scenarios.
The council is also expected to discuss cybersecurity and cyber defence, particularly in light of the recent cyberattack against Latvian State Forests (LVM).
As previously reported, a hacker gained access to LVM’s systems on the 11th of June but only began carrying out malicious activity during the night of the 22nd to the 23rd of June. Latvia’s national cybersecurity incident response institution, CERT.LV, has said the attacker leaked 44 gigabytes of data stolen during the breach, while the total amount of compromised data is believed to be even larger.
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