According to Latvian authorities, armed masked men entered Latvian territory from the Belarusian side, damaged an electrical panel, and stole surveillance cameras. According to the authorities, they fled before border guards arrived.
As reported by Latvian Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava and the country’s armed forces, the same group had previously allegedly tried to bring at least 20 illegal migrants across the border. According to them, the masked men were “actively pushing and directing” the migrants, and when they clashed with soldiers of Latvia’s National Armed Forces, they began threatening to use force.
Dombrava called the incident “a particularly demonstrative and aggressive” provocation. Latvia’s armed forces said the incident confirmed the continuation of “deliberate provocations and hybrid threats” on the Latvia-Belarus border, as well as the use of illegal migration as a tool of pressure on the EU’s and NATO’s external borders.
The flow of migrants at the border between Belarus and the European Union rose sharply back in 2021. In the EU, blame for the migration crisis was placed on the Belarusian authorities, with claims that Belarusian law enforcement agencies not only do not try to stop illegal migrants, but also deliberately bring them to the border area.
Border guards in Latvia and Lithuania regularly thwart attempts by migrants to enter the countries from Belarus. In particular, on July 22 of this year, Latvia’s armed forces fired warning shots and used tear gas against migrants who were preparing to cross the border illegally.
On July 31, Latvian authorities announced a temporary suspension of border crossings with Belarus, and in August an underground tunnel was discovered in the border area through which 15 people tried to enter the country. Later, Latvian border guards found a second tunnel, which was located 20 meters from the border and was camouflaged with moss.
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