On the 30th of December last year, Latvia’s State Security Service (VDD) decided to request that the Prosecutor’s Office initiate criminal prosecution against a Latvian citizen for illegally gathering information about Latvia’s defense sector on behalf of Russia’s military intelligence service, the GRU.
Criminal proceedings against the individual were launched on the 14th of October, 2025, based on information provided by the Military Intelligence and Security Service, under Section 85, Paragraph One of the Criminal Law—namely, for collecting and transmitting classified and other information to a foreign intelligence service on its behalf.
The investigation established that the Latvian citizen obtained and passed on to the GRU information about private infrastructure in Latvia that could be used for aviation purposes, including Spilve airfield, the presence of NATO allied forces in the country, and various current issues related to the defense sector.
The individual also provided the GRU with information about public sentiment in Latvia, the support extended to Ukraine, and critical infrastructure facilities located within Latvian territory. In addition, acting on instructions from the Russian intelligence service, the suspect gathered practical information, such as the conditions for purchasing prepaid mobile phone SIM cards in Latvia—specifically, whether they can be obtained without revealing one’s identity.
VDD investigators determined that the person maintained covert contacts with a GRU officer
and transferred the collected information during meetings held on Russian territory. In this case, the espionage activities carried out in Russia’s interests were ideologically motivated.
The suspect was detained in cooperation with the Military Intelligence and Security Service during the night of the 18th of October last year. A custodial measure—pre-trial detention—has been applied.
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