Latvia’s security situation has not improved and has, in fact, become more complex, President Edgars Rinkēvičs said on Thursday during an interview on TV24’s programme Dienas personība.
The President stressed that Russia’s war against Ukraine continues. According to Rinkēvičs, one positive development is that Russia has become deeply bogged down in the conflict and is increasingly feeling the consequences of the war.
He noted that Ukraine has developed the capability to strike targets affecting Russia’s economy, including oil and gas processing facilities and elements of its military-industrial sector. He also highlighted Ukraine’s ability to continue resisting Russian aggression, hold the front line, and increasingly seize the initiative on the battlefield.
However, Rinkēvičs warned that a more troubling development is Russia’s growing unpredictability.
“We can see signs of desperation and an expanding disinformation campaign
because Russia’s leadership can no longer explain to its own society why, in the fifth year of the war, Kyiv has not been captured and why attacks are taking place against Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Russian industrial facilities,” the President said.
“Of course, there are attempts to look for scapegoats everywhere, and the Baltic states are among those being mentioned. Therefore, it must be said that Latvia’s security situation has not improved, and we must be prepared to respond to various kinds of provocations.”
Addressing concerns among residents of Latgale, Rinkēvičs emphasized that similar worries are being felt throughout Latvia, as well as in Estonia and Lithuania.
He pointed out that comparable drone-related incidents have occurred in Finland and, more recently, in Romania,
where a drone crashed into a residential building in Galați on the 29th of May.
According to the President, the threat is not unique to Latvia but affects NATO’s entire eastern flank.
Rinkēvičs noted that drones represent a relatively new category of weaponry and that technological developments are advancing so rapidly that surveillance, detection, and acoustic monitoring systems often struggle to keep pace. He added that this challenge affects both Ukraine and Russia as well.
The President acknowledged
that procedures developed after the military drone crash in Gaigalava Parish, Rēzekne Municipality, required significant revision.
“The original response algorithms had to be changed and continuously improved. We must admit that we are lagging behind in both information exchange and coordination,” he said.
Rinkēvičs revealed that he had recently met with Culture Minister Nauris Puntulis to discuss emergency guidelines and response procedures for large public cultural events in the event of an air raid alert.
The President explained that public opinion remains divided regarding emergency mobile alerts. Some people believe alerts should only be issued in the most serious situations, while others want information as early as possible.
For that reason, Latvia has introduced a two-level warning system.
A yellow alert is issued when there is no immediate threat and normal activities can continue.
An orange alert indicates that people should seek shelter or move to a location that follows the so-called “two-wall principle” for protection.
Rinkēvičs acknowledged that he could not offer comforting assurances that the situation would soon return to normal.
“Everyone must adapt to this reality—from state institutions and municipalities to ordinary residents—and understand that as long as Russia’s war against Ukraine continues, this will remain our reality,” he said.
The President nevertheless expressed confidence that Latvia will develop the appropriate response mechanisms and continue strengthening its security.
He also noted that Latvia is preparing additional cooperation agreements with Ukraine, including expert cooperation and the acquisition of counter-drone systems designed to improve the country’s ability to detect and intercept hostile unmanned aircraft.
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