Latvian officials say armed masked men threatened troops while trying to push 20 migrants across from Belarus, then crossed into Latvia themselves and stole surveillance cameras
Armed, masked people tried to lead a group of 20 migrants illegally across the border from Belarus into Latvia and threatened soldiers in Latvia’s National Armed Forces, according to Latvian Interior Minister Janis Dombrava and the country’s armed forces.
On Saturday, armed masked individuals attempted to guide 20 migrants illegally from Belarus into Latvia, according to Latvian Interior Minister Janis Dombrava and Latvia's armed forces. The soldiers managed to stop the group from crossing the border, but the intruders remained on the Belarusian side. The armed individuals began to push the migrants towards Latvia, threatening the soldiers and "actively guiding" them.
Later, the masked individuals entered Latvia themselves. According to Dombrava, they damaged an electrical distribution panel and stole surveillance cameras before retreating back to Belarus before border guards arrived. Dombrava warned Belarus that such incidents could have more severe consequences for the country itself. In 2021, there was a surge in illegal migration attempts along the Belarus-EU border, with the EU accusing Belarusian authorities of deliberately bringing migrants to the border region without attempting to stop them from crossing.
Latvian and Lithuanian border guards have a history of preventing migrants from entering their countries illegally from Belarus.
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