Kulbergs criticizes service coordination after storm, urges learning from Ukraine

Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, currently on an official visit to Ukraine, criticized the performance of Latvia's emergency services during the powerful storm that hit the country last weekend, saying in a video posted on Twitter that Latvia has not learned enough from Ukraine's wartime experience.

Kulbergs said the storm exposed a lack of coordination among the country's various services, stressing that this applied to all agencies involved. He noted that a storm of similar scale in winter would have far worse consequences, since residents would be left without water and heating in addition to electricity.

Ukraine's approach as a model

The prime minister said he had visited a military crisis management center in Ukraine the previous day, where he observed how a single screen was used to coordinate not only military operations but also civilian services such as firefighters and police. In his view, Latvia should adopt a similar system.

Kulbergs promised that funds from the state budget's contingency reserve would be allocated to strengthen the services if needed.

Businesses must also be prepared

The premier stressed that businesses, too, must be ready for such crises. He said situations where a manufacturer's goods spoil due to a power outage simply because the company failed to secure a generator should not be allowed to happen again. The government is prepared to introduce relevant regulations if necessary, he added.

Kulbergs also criticized Latvian Radio, saying it had urged listeners during the storm to look for up-to-date information online. He further noted that about a third of Latvia's territory is already covered by an alternative civil infrastructure communications system, and that relatively modest investment could extend this coverage across the whole country to keep communications running during crises.

As previously reported, the strongest summer storm in recent decades struck Latvia last Saturday and the following night, with wind gusts locally exceeding 30 meters per second. The storm damaged both distribution and transmission power networks, initially cutting electricity to about 277,000 customers nationwide. By Monday morning, roughly 87,000 customers were still without power.