This week, masked, aggressive and armed escorts from Belarus attempted to bring a group of illegal migrants across the border into Latvia, according to the Latvian National Armed Forces (NBS).
On Monday evening, a group of at least 20 illegal migrants, accompanied by three masked escorts, attempted to cross the Latvia-Belarus border illegally. NBS soldiers stopped the attempted crossing, but unlike many previous incidents, this provocation was particularly demonstrative and aggressive.
The escorts accompanying the illegal migrants were armed, threatened NBS soldiers and actively urged and pushed the group of migrants towards Latvia. The NBS confirmed to LETA that, judging from a distance, the escorts appeared to be armed with a handgun.
Several hours after the confrontation, masked individuals entered Latvian territory, damaged an electrical distribution cabinet and stole surveillance cameras, Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava (NA) said. The individuals returned to Belarusian territory before a Border Guard unit could arrive.
“Belarus should understand that incidents like these could lead to more serious consequences for Belarus itself,”
the minister said.
State Border Guard Chief Guntis Pujāts told LETA that two border surveillance cameras had been stolen and that the necessary work was already under way to restore the damaged infrastructure.
Pujāts suggested that the masked individuals may not have been representatives of Belarusian state services, but rather members of organised crime groups that use the favourable attitude of Belarusian authorities to facilitate illegal migration.
Pujāts said there have been more cases of sabotage targeting information technology infrastructure than before. Meanwhile, damage to the border fence is occurring roughly half as often as it did a year ago.
The incident confirms that deliberate provocations and hybrid threats along the Latvia-Belarus border will continue,
with illegal migration being used as a tool to exert pressure on Latvia and, at the same time, on the external border of the European Union and NATO, the NBS said.
The incident demonstrates that tensions remain high and acts of sabotage are continuing, Pujāts agreed.
The NBS will continue to support the State Border Guard along the Latvia-Belarus and Latvia-Russia borders in jointly responding to challenges posed by illegal migration, provocations and other hybrid threats.
Despite the incident, the NBS has not declared a heightened state of combat readiness. At the same time, the NBS reminded LETA that soldiers have long been assisting border guards in preventing illegal border crossings.
As previously reported,
on Monday the State Border Guard prevented 59 people from illegally crossing the Latvian-Belarusian border from Belarus.
A total of 11,925 people have been prevented from illegally crossing the state border so far this year.
The government has extended the enhanced border protection regime along the Belarusian border until the end of this year. The measure was introduced due to the increased flow of illegal migrants created by Belarus.
The enhanced control regime applies in Ludza and the surrounding parishes of Ludza Municipality, Krāslava and the surrounding parishes, Augšdaugava Municipality, Daugavpils, and Kaunata Parish in Rēzekne Municipality.
Last year, the State Border Guard prevented a total of 12,046 attempts to illegally cross the Belarus-Latvia border. For humanitarian reasons, 31 illegal migrants were allowed to cross the border.
In 2024, 5,388 people were prevented from illegally crossing the Belarus-Latvia border, while 26 people were admitted to Latvia on humanitarian grounds.