Armed escorts aggressively pushed migrants toward Latvia in border provocation

Latvia's National Armed Forces (NBS) reported that an unusually aggressive and demonstrative provocation took place this week at the Latvian-Belarusian border. A group of at least 20 illegal migrants, led by masked escorts, attempted to cross the border illegally into Latvia.

Unlike many previous incidents, the escorts this time were armed and issued threats against NBS soldiers while actively pushing the migrant group toward Latvia. NBS troops managed to stop the crossing attempt.

Damage to infrastructure

Several hours after the confrontation, masked individuals nonetheless entered Latvian territory, where they damaged an electrical distribution cabinet and stole cameras. Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava (National Alliance) confirmed the incident, adding that the individuals returned to Belarusian territory before a border guard unit could arrive at the scene. The minister warned that such incidents could lead to more serious consequences for Belarus itself.

Ongoing hybrid threat

According to the NBS assessment, the incident confirms that deliberate provocations using illegal migration as a pressure tool against Latvia, the European Union and NATO's external border will continue. The armed forces pledged to keep supporting the State Border Guard along both the Belarusian and Russian borders to jointly counter hybrid threats.

On Monday, the State Border Guard prevented 59 people from illegally crossing the border from the Belarusian side. In total this year, 11,925 illegal crossing attempts have been stopped. The government has extended enhanced border protection measures until the end of the year in several border municipalities, including Ludza, Krāslava, Augšdaugava, Daugavpils and Rēzekne municipality's Kaunata parish. Last year, 12,046 attempts were stopped in total, while in 2024 the figure was 5,388.