Latvia: Armed men from Belarus threatened Latvian soldiers at the border; masked intruders stole surveillance cameras

Armed men escorting a group of about 20 migrants on the Belarusian side of the border threatened Latvian soldiers as they tried to push the group illegally into Latvia. The incident took place this week and was made public on October 6, according to Latvia’s National Armed Forces (NBS) and Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava. Several hours later, masked men crossed from Belarus into Latvian territory and removed border surveillance equipment.

According to the NBS, the escorts of the border violators were armed, made threats against soldiers and actively urged and drove the group of migrants towards Latvia. The soldiers thwarted the crossing attempt. Along the border with Belarus, the NBS supports the State Border Guard.

Several hours after the first incident, according to Dombrava, masked individuals entered Latvian territory, damaged an electricity distribution box and stole cameras, then returned to Belarus before a Border Guard unit could reach the spot. Dombrava warned Minsk: “Belarus should understand that such incidents could lead to more serious consequences for Belarus itself.”

State Border Guard chief Guntis Pujāts said two border surveillance cameras were stolen. He suggested the masked men may belong to organised crime groups rather than Belarusian state services, Latvian public broadcaster LSM reports.

On Monday, October 5, Latvian authorities prevented 59 attempts to cross the border illegally. Since the start of the year the total stands at 11,925. The government has extended the enhanced border security regime along the Belarusian border until the end of the year.

In 2021 the European Union imposed sanctions on Belarus over the instrumentalisation of migrants at its borders. The incident in Latvia follows an alert in Lithuania over a possible drone from Belarus, when NATO fighter jets also took off.