Armed individuals from Belarus threaten Latvian soldiers at border, followed by another breach
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Armed individuals who escorted 20 migrants and attempted to help them illegally cross into Latvia from Belarus threatened Latvian soldiers before another group briefly crossed into the country, Latvian Interior Minister Janis Dombrava said Oct. 6.
"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 in a post to X.
Shortly after, a group of masked individuals illegally crossed into Latvia, stealing equipment before returning to Belarus.
"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.
The Latvian Minister warned Belarusian authorities that border incidents like these could lead to "serious consequences" for Minsk.
Similar incidents have taken place in the past, and the EU sanctioned the country in 2021 for its instrumentalisation of migrants.
Acts of hybrid warfare against Europe from Moscow and Belarus have intensified in recent months as Russia continues its war against Ukraine.
Overnight on Sept. 15, NATO forces shot down a drone that flew into Lithuanian airspace from Belarus, Lithuanian authorities said.
The drone entered Lithuanian airspace from neighboring Belarus, flying over Lentvaris near the capital, Vilnius, before being shot down near the major city of Kaunas, head of the country's National Crisis Management Center Vilmantas Vitkauskas told public broadcaster LRT.
