Latvian President: No evidence Russia plans direct invasion of a NATO state, but vigilance urged
President Edgars Rinkēvičs says Latvia has no facts suggesting Russia plans a direct invasion of a NATO country, while warning about growing sabotage and hybrid threats. Security service chief Egils Zviedris says Russia is raising the stakes in Europe as it fails to defeat Ukraine.
Speaking to journalists after meeting Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs said Latvia currently has no facts or signs indicating a possible direct Russian invasion of a NATO member state. He noted that Estonia recently confirmed a fire last month at defense manufacturer Milrem Robotics in Tallinn was sabotage organized by Russian special services. Similar cases have been reported in other countries as well.
Rinkēvičs did not rule out that such incidents could eventually cost lives, which he said would represent an entirely different situation. He stressed that the public has long been informed about potential provocations and cyberattacks, and urged residents to report suspicious activity to responsible authorities.
According to the president, Russia currently has two goals regarding Latvia: deterring the country from supporting Ukraine, and sowing a sense of insecurity and panic among the public. He added that other countries' leaders increasingly share this understanding of Russia's objectives.
Security service warns of escalating threats
Egils Zviedris, director of the Constitution Protection Bureau, told LETA that Russia, unable to defeat Ukraine, is raising the stakes in Europe and that civilian casualties cannot be ruled out. Rinkēvičs did not consider this assessment radically new, recalling that warnings about the need for vigilance have been issued before.
Zviedris said Russia's hybrid threats include cyberattacks, sabotage and information warfare, citing explosive-laden drones at Leipzig airport and attacks on railway lines, as well as the desecration of monuments and the burning of the Occupation Museum in Latvia.
Prime Minister Kulbergs stressed that Latvia understands Russian threats well and therefore invests significantly more in security and defense than many Western European countries. Zviedris noted that Latvia has asked Germany to deploy four NATO fighter jets during the parliamentary election period to prevent possible provocations in national airspace.
