The former Soviet republic, which strongly supports Ukraine, said it would invest an additional 300 million euros over five years to strengthen its border.
The Latvian government announced on Tuesday that it would further strengthen its land border with Russia, amid concerns from NATO and EU members following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The former Soviet republic, which strongly supports Ukraine, said it would invest an additional 300 million euros over five years to strengthen its border, including with anti-tank obstacles.
This announcement was made while Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics was at the border to inspect the barbed wire fence being erected, which will complement the barriers erected since 2014 by this Baltic NATO member country. “The government has allocated an additional 300 million euros which will be used over the next five years to strengthen the border, including with measures to prevent enemy mobility on our territory”the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
Not a single centimeter left undefended
Edgars Rinkevics said these measures would include anti-tank obstacles known as “Czech hedgehogs” And “dragon teeth”. “Our policy is clear: not a single centimeter of Latvian territory will be left undefended”, he declared to the journalists present. The head of the Latvian border guard, General Guntis Pujats, also recalled the new measures taken in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Since February 2022, “all border guards carry assault rifles in addition to their handguns”he told AFP. “They are equipped with bulletproof vests and helmets similar to those of soldiers, in order to be ready to face possible provocations from Russia and Belarus”continued General Pujats.
