Armed individuals escorting a group of 20 migrants and attempting to help them illegally cross from Belarus into Latvia threatened Latvian military personnel. Shortly thereafter, another group briefly penetrated Latvian territory, declared Latvia’s Interior Minister, Janis Dombrava, on October 6.
“The individuals escorting the migrants who were illegally on Belarusian territory were armed, threatened Latvian soldiers, and also actively urged and pushed the group of migrants towards Latvia”, Dombrava wrote in a post on platform X.
Shortly after this incident, a group of masked individuals illegally crossed the border into Latvia and stole equipment, before returning to Belarus.
“A few hours after this conflict, individuals wearing masks entered Latvian territory, damaged a distribution board, and stole surveillance cameras before the border police crew could arrive at the scene. Subsequently, they returned to Belarusian territory”, the Latvian minister specified.
Dombrava warned the authorities in Minsk that incidents of this type at the border could have “serious consequences” for Belarus.
Such incidents have occurred in the past. In 2021, the European Union imposed sanctions on Belarus, accusing the authorities in Minsk of using migration as a pressure tool against the EU.
In recent months, actions considered by European countries as part of hybrid warfare tactics carried out by Russia and Belarus have intensified, while Moscow continues its war against Ukraine.
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