Latvian military officials were unable to confirm that the attackers at the border were armed

The Latvian National Armed Forces stated that they are currently unable to determine with certainty whether the object used to threaten soldiers at the border with Belarus was a weapon. The incident occurred during an attempt to smuggle migrants across the border.

According to him, smuggling people across the Latvian border is a tactic used regularly. Pudans notes that not only the migrants themselves are involved, but also organized groups that help them reach the border and cross it.

In this particular case, several people had already crossed the border and climbed over the fence. When Latvian soldiers arrived at the scene and began detaining the violators, aggressive actions began from the Belarusian side.

“They began making threats and throwing rocks, pieces of trees, and logs at our soldiers; there was also an object resembling a weapon that was aimed at the soldiers,” Pudans said.

The commander noted that due to poor visibility and the distance involved, it was impossible to fully confirm that it was indeed a weapon. However, the soldiers acted based on what they saw and their assessment of the situation.

Pudans emphasized that the soldiers made the right decision. To avoid putting themselves in danger and to prevent the situation from escalating, they retreated a few meters. This helped avert a more serious conflict.

This was reported by Kaspars Pudans, commander of the Latvian National Armed Forces, as cited by Delfi.

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