Belarus has been warned of “serious consequences” after armed individuals attempting to smuggle illegal migrants into Latvia threatened soldiers. Latvian Interior Minister Janis Dombrava said after the flashpoint at the border, a mask-clad group later crossed into Latvia and stole equipment before returning to Belarus.
Mr Dombrava said Latvian troops stationed at its frontier with Belarus stopped 20 migrants from illegally crossing the border. In an incident he described as “particularly demonstrative and aggressive”, Mr Dombrava said armed escorts of the migrants threatened the soldiers and “actively urged and drove the migrant group toward Latvia”. In a post on X, Mr Dombrava added: “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.”
Latvia has a steel fence along its 107-mile border with Belarus (Image: Getty)
He warned Belarus that “such incidents could lead to more serious consequences for Belarus itself”. Minsk is yet to publicly comment on the reports.
Belarus has long been accused of orchestrating a migrant crisis on the borders of its European Union neighbours. The country’s leader Alexander Lukashenko is a close ally of Vladimir Putin, with Russia also suspected of helping to fuel the migrant crisis in eastern Europe.
The escorts accompanying the migrants appeared to be carrying handguns, the Latvian military told the LETA news agency. Guntis Pujts, head of Lithuania’s State Border Guard, said two border surveillance cameras were stolen and efforts to repair damaged infrastructure are underway.
It was not immediately clear who the masked individuals were. However, Mr Pujts suggested they may be members of organised crime groups – taking advantage of favourable treatment by Belarusian authorities to smuggle migrants – rather than representatives of the Belarusian state services, local reports say.
Latvia has a steel fence that runs the length of its 107-mile border with Belarus. It is supported by video cameras and motion sensors, while border troops also use surveillance drones to track any movements.
Riga also has an almost 175-mile fortification along its frontier with Russia. The work was completed in December last year as fears of a Russian attack continue to rise.
The incident along the Belarus border comes after migrants illegally entered Latvia from Belarusian territory using a tunnel for the first time in August. Fifteen migrants believed to have crawled through the tunnel were later found and returned to their “country of departure”.
Latvia vowed to strengthen its border security following the discovery. Speaking at the time, Mr Dombrava said Belarus was posing a “hybrid threat” to Latvia.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, has previously accused Minsk and Moscow of an “unacceptable weaponisation of migration”. Belarus and Russia have denied helping to facilitate migrants crossing into neighbouring nations.