Latvia to Conduct Mobilization Drills

The Latvian Armed Forces will set up mobilization centers as part of the drills.

This was reported on the website of the Latvian National Armed Forces.

According to the statement, the goal is to test and refine the procedure for conscripting and enlisting Latvian citizens into the armed forces in a crisis situation.

Latvian citizens who have applied for voluntary reservist training will arrive at mobilization centers in cities such as Riga, Kuldīga, Valmiera, and Alūksne. From the mobilization centers, citizens will be transported to the Infantry School in Alūksne.

The military training course for reservists will run from August 8 to 29, and 114 reservists will acquire basic military skills by studying various subjects, including regulations and laws, live-fire exercises, communications, topography, terrain navigation, field combat skills, and advanced first aid.

Upon successful completion of the training course, the reservists will take the soldier’s oath, receive a reservist ID card and a mobilization order, and be enlisted into the ranks of the reserves.

The reservists’ level of military training is refreshed every four years through a call-up. Both women and men—Latvian citizens between the ages of 18 and 60—are eligible to apply for reservist training.

It is noted that reservists with criminal convictions, as well as those who were dismissed from public service for disciplinary violations, or who were full-time employees or agents of the KGB of the USSR, or who are currently agents of a foreign country’s security, intelligence, or counterintelligence services, are not accepted.

Latvia is strengthening its national defense capabilities not only against military threats but also against hybrid threats. In particular, following a series of attempts at illegal border crossings, Latvia closed its last border checkpoint with Belarus.