Melnis: Additional air defense systems to be deployed in Latvia soon

After a meeting of the Military Council on Thursday, Latvian Defense Minister Raivis Melnis stated that additional air defense systems will be deployed in the near future. He emphasized that the defense sector is actively working to improve air defense capabilities, ensuring secure skies, including the installation of additional radar and interceptor systems along the country's eastern border.

Melnis acknowledged that procurement procedures and the time required for them pose challenges, but a solution has already been found. He thanked allied forces from Ukraine for their support in system integration and soldier training.

Furthermore, the ministry plans to continue work on the Baltic defense line in a more detailed and systematic manner. The main challenges are securing land plots and placing obstacles. Representatives of the National Armed Forces (NBS) informed the President and Melnis about the third-stage measures for the line's construction. The minister noted that now it will be possible to proceed with the next phases, including digging anti-tank ditches and installing barriers.

NBS Commander Kaspars Pudāns reported that the council was briefed on the current combat readiness status and proposed solutions for its immediate enhancement according to potential threats. The council meeting was followed by talks with municipalities in the eastern border region, as well as with leaders of Smiltene, Valmiera, Gulbene, and Madona districts.

Pudāns expressed satisfaction with the successful cooperation with municipalities, which has reached a higher level thanks to joint exercises. Melnis indicated that dialogue must continue and that representatives from the interior ministry and the Crisis Management Center should be involved in the future.

The Baltic defense line project, agreed upon by the Baltic states and Poland in January 2024, aims to create anti-mobility infrastructure. Since March 2024, the NBS has been militarily fortifying Latvia's eastern border. Last year, 45 million euros were allocated for this purpose, and this year, 55 million euros are planned.

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, seven drones have crashed in Latvia, and one was neutralized by NATO fighter jets. The NBS previously stated that there is no reason to automatically assume that all drones involved in incidents are Ukrainian. In the spring, one drone incident led to the resignation of then-Defense Minister Andris Sprūds and subsequently to the collapse of the government.