Latvian Soldiers Use Tear Gas and Fire Warning Shots at Migrants

Latvian soldiers used tear gas and fired warning shots into the air to stop a group of five or more migrants attempting to cross the border illegally from Belarus. According to the Latvian military, the individuals behaved aggressively and threw logs at the soldiers before retreating back into Belarusian territory.

Latvia, along with Poland and Lithuania, has long accused Minsk and Moscow of organizing migration flows from the Middle East and Africa as part of a hybrid war on NATO's eastern border. Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs confirmed that the number of attempts to cross the border illegally has recently doubled.

The country has reinforced its border guard, with units from Lithuania, Estonia and the Latvian army also assisting along the border. The Baltic states have been grappling with this pressure since 2021, while both Minsk and Moscow deny any involvement in coordinating the migration.

(Reuters, Max)