Latvia lacks personnel to strengthen border with Belarus — Delfi
Latvia needs up to 200 additional State Border Guard Service personnel to effectively respond to incidents on the border with Belarus. This was stated by the country’s president, Edgars Rinkēvičs.
According to him, increasing the number of border guards will help the country more effectively control the situation on the Latvian-Belarusian border.
As reported by presidential advisor Mārtiņš Dregeris, on Monday, Rinkēvičs, together with the head of the State Border Guard and the commander of the National Armed Forces, visited sections of the border with Belarus that fall under the jurisdiction of the Daugavpils Border Guard Directorate.
During the visit, officials confirmed to the president that by the end of the year, the Latvian-Belarusian border is slated to be equipped with technologies designed to enhance the effectiveness of border control.
At the same time, Rinkēvičs emphasized that, to make full use of these technologies, the border service needs additional personnel—up to 200 officers—who will be able to respond promptly to incidents.
The president stressed that fences, sensors, and video surveillance are just one element of the system; border guards capable of responding promptly to incidents are also essential.
According to the President, this is particularly important in light of the damage to infrastructure along the Latvian border, as otherwise the investments made in technology will not yield the expected results.
Responding to questions from journalists, the president also called on the public to be prepared for various provocations, including sabotage and subversive acts.
Rinkēvičs noted that Latvia’s air defense capabilities have improved. At the same time, as long as Russia continues its war against Ukraine, threats of this kind are, to a certain extent, becoming a new reality for Latvia.
This was reported by Delfi.
NATO is preparing three steps in case of a Russian attack on the Baltic states — Bild.
As a reminder, NATO fighter jets shot down a drone in Latvian airspace.
On August 14, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs commented on the incident involving a drone that violated the country’s airspace. According to him, the incident confirmed the effectiveness of Latvia’s air defense system.
