Armed individuals escorting more than 20 migrants toward Latvia from Belarus threatened Latvian soldiers before masked intruders later crossed into Latvian territory and damaged border infrastructure, Latvian Interior Minister Janis Dombrava said on X on October 6.
Dombrava said the people accompanying the migrants were on the Belarusian side of the border and used threats against Latvian military personnel while actively pushing the group toward Latvia.
“The escorts of the illegal migrants, who were located on the Belarusian side, were armed, issued threats to (Latvian) soldiers, and also actively urged and drove the migrant group toward Latvia,” he said.
Several hours later, masked individuals entered Latvia illegally, damaged an electrical distribution cabinet and stole surveillance cameras before withdrawing into Belarus. Dombrava said the perpetrators returned across the border before a Latvian border guard patrol could reach the site.
“Several hours after this conflict, people dressed in masks entered Latvian territory, damaged a distribution cabinet, and stole cameras before the border guard’s assignment could arrive, after which the individuals returned to Belarusian territory,” Dombrava said.
He described the incident as a targeted attack on border infrastructure and warned Belarusian authorities that such border incidents could have “serious consequences” for Minsk.
Dombrava stressed that the latest incident was more blatant and aggressive than many previous cases.
“Unlike many previous cases, this time the provocation was particularly blatant and aggressive,” he said.
Similar incidents have occurred previously, and the European Union imposed sanctions on Belarus in 2021 over what it described as the instrumentalization of migrants.
On July 22, the Latvian National Armed Forces fired warning shots and used tear gas against migrants attempting to cross the border illegally. On July 31, Latvian authorities announced a temporary suspension of border crossings from Belarus.
On August 11, Latvian border guards discovered an underground tunnel near the Belarusian border after a group of 15 people had attempted to enter Latvia through it.
On September 15, Belarus began military exercises near the borders of EU countries. That same night, a Russian drone entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus.
Lithuanian authorities said NATO forces later shot down the drone after it flew into Lithuanian airspace from Belarus. Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Center, told public broadcaster LRT that the drone flew over Lentvaris near Vilnius before being destroyed near Kaunas.
Acts of hybrid warfare against Europe by Moscow and Belarus have intensified in recent months as Russia continues its war against Ukraine.