Border violators pelt Latvian soldiers with logs; tear gas and warning shot used

According to the National Armed Forces (NBS), on Tuesday in the Kaplava parish at the Latvia-Belarus border, soldiers supporting the State Border Guard observed at least five individuals attempting to illegally cross the state border. When the border violators noticed the soldiers, they became aggressive and threw logs at them. To stop the illegal actions, the NBS soldiers initially used tear gas. However, the persons continued to ignore the authorities' demands and maintained their aggressive behavior. Therefore, the soldiers fired a warning shot into the air, after which the border violators retreated back into Belarusian territory. The NBS states that this incident once again demonstrates that illegal migration is being used as a hybrid warfare tool and a deliberate provocation against Latvia and other EU and NATO external border countries.