Masked Group Enters Latvia from Belarus and Carries Out Sabotage

A group of unidentified masked individuals crossed into Latvia from Belarus and damaged border surveillance infrastructure.

Jānis Dombrova, Latvia’s Minister of the Interior, reported the incident.

The perpetrators damaged an electrical distribution panel and stole surveillance cameras. Before Latvian border guards arrived at the scene, they had already returned to Belarusian territory.

According to the minister, the incident occurred several hours after at least 20 illegal migrants attempted to cross the Latvia-Belarus border illegally.

The group was accompanied by armed masked individuals who threatened members of Latvia’s National Armed Forces and encouraged and pushed the migrants toward Latvia. Latvian military personnel stopped the attempted border crossing.

“Unlike many previous incidents, this time the provocation was particularly overt and aggressive,” Dombrova said.

The minister emphasized that Belarus should understand that such incidents could lead to more serious consequences.

Latvia’s National Armed Forces said the incident was another example of what they described as deliberate provocations and hybrid threats along the Latvia-Belarus border. According to the Latvian military, illegal migration is being used to put pressure on Latvia and the external border of the European Union and NATO.

In early July, the Latvian government decided to extend the enhanced border security regime until the end of the year, citing the significant number of attempted border crossings recorded along the Latvia-Belarus border.

Situation on the Belarus Border

As of September 24, Latvian border guards had prevented 11,384 attempts to illegally cross the border from Belarus since the beginning of 2026. In August, Latvian border guards discovered an underground tunnel that had been used to smuggle migrants from Belarus. Fifteen people were detained, and the tunnel was found approximately 10 meters from the border fence.

In January, Latvia’s Armed Forces and State Border Guard released evidence of the involvement of Belarusian security forces in organizing illegal migration across Latvia’s state border.

Along Latvia’s eastern border, authorities have reported deliberate damage to cables, electrical distribution cabinets, and supports for surveillance cameras, apparently aimed at slowing the deployment of an automated border control system.