Armed masked men threaten Latvian troops in attempt to force migrants across border from Belarus
Armed masked men accompanying at least 20 migrants threatened Latvian troops and tried to force the group across the border from Belarus before later entering Latvian territory, damaging infrastructure and stealing surveillance cameras, Latvia’s military said.
A group of at least 20 migrants attempted to cross the Latvia-Belarus border this week under the direction of masked escorts, according to Latvia’s National Armed Forces.
Latvian troops stopped the attempted crossing, but the military described the incident as unusually demonstrative and aggressive compared with previous cases.
The escorts were armed, threatened Latvian soldiers and actively pushed and drove the migrants toward Latvian territory, the military said.
Several hours later, masked individuals entered Latvian territory, damaged an electrical distribution box and stole two border surveillance cameras, Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava said. They returned to Belarus before Latvian border guards arrived.
“Belarus should understand that such incidents could lead to more serious consequences for Belarus itself,” Dombrava said.
Latvian Border Guard chief Guntis Pujāts said the masked individuals may not have been members of Belarusian state services. He said they could instead be members of organized criminal groups operating with the tolerance of Belarusian authorities.
Latvia’s military described the incident as part of continuing provocations and hybrid threats along the Belarus border, saying irregular migration was being used to exert pressure on Latvia and the EU and NATO’s external border.
Latvian authorities have prevented 11,925 attempts to cross the border illegally from Belarus so far this year, nearly matching the 12,046 attempts recorded during all of 2025. In 2024, the figure was 5,388.
Latvia has extended its heightened border security regime along the Belarusian border through the end of the year.
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