Latvian Border Guards Will Be Allowed to Use Weapons to Protect Infrastructure

Latvian border guards will be allowed to use weapons to repel attacks on border infrastructure facilities.

This is provided for by amendments to the Law on the State Border Guard of Latvia, adopted by the country’s Saeima. LSM+ reports on this.

Border guards will be able to use weapons without warning if, under specific circumstances, it is impossible to prevent an attack by other means.

The amendments also stipulate that if the use of weapons results in injury or death, the border guard service must immediately, but no later than within 24 hours, notify the prosecutor’s office.

Raimondas Bergmanis, Chair of the Defense Committee, previously noted that the inviolability of the state border and the protection of infrastructure in the context of hybrid warfare are important components of Latvia’s territorial integrity.

“The amendments to the law have expanded the border guards’ capabilities to immediately stop violations,” the statement reads.

In early October, armed and masked men, who were accompanying a group of intruders from Belarus and behaving aggressively, attempted to smuggle them across the border into Latvia.

At that time, servicemen of the Latvian National Armed Forces thwarted this attempt.

Recently, another provocation took place, one that was particularly blatant and aggressive.

Armed escorts threatened Latvian servicemen while actively pushing a group of migrants toward the border.

Later, a previously little-known group called Melnie rusi (Black Rus) claimed responsibility for this incident on the Latvian-Belarusian border.

In October, a group of unknown masked individuals infiltrated Latvia from Belarus and damaged border surveillance infrastructure.