Latvia reports armed provocation on border with Belarus

On the Latvian border with Belarus, soldiers stopped a group of at least 20 illegal migrants who were trying to enter Latvian territory. The masked men accompanying the group were armed and threatened the Latvian soldiers.

This is reported by Latvian media.

According to the military, the movement of migrants from Belarus was organized. Armed escorts actively pushed the group towards the Latvian border and at the same time threatened the military personnel.

The Latvian Armed Forces noted that this case differed from previous ones in the particularly demonstrative and aggressive behavior of the people accompanying the migrants.

The Latvian military sees the use of illegal migration as a tool to put pressure on Latvia’s external border, as well as the EU and NATO. They expect provocations and hybrid threats on the Latvian-Belarusian border to continue.

The armed forces will continue to assist border guards in guarding the borders with Belarus and Russia.

Estonia has previously been reported to be moving its main combat brigade closer to the border with Russia and moving to an “active defense” strategy . The country is also building new military bases and purchasing weapons capable of striking deep into Russian territory.