The regular armed forces of Belarus, border guards, as well as the special border guard unit “ASAN” are located at the Latvian border. Other special units have also appeared, reports “Guard”.
Both the officials of the State Border Guard and the representatives of the National Guard admit that the movement of units at the borders is currently sufficiently active. If a month ago a lone border guard patrol walked along the Latvian-Belarusian border, now there are patrols, stationary checkpoints, hiding places and a permanent presence near the border zone.
According to the “Guard”, the stop of the Belarusian militarized units records any activities of the Latvian border guards or land guards, using both mobile phones and video cameras. Belarusian militants are also using weapons equipped with both night vision and aiming devices and thermal cameras.
The choice of armaments on the part of Belarus also raises more and more unanswered questions. In recent days, not only Kalashnikov-type assault rifles, but also Dragunov-type (SVD) sniper rifles, as well as Kalashnikov system light machine guns (RPK) have been seen by Belarusian military personnel.
According to the National Guard, the Belarusian side has started using these weapons in places where the demonstration or use of this level of force is absolutely not necessary. According to the border guards and national guards, this shows that the Belarusian side is confused and does not understand what reaction to expect from the Latvian border guards and the National Guards.
In order to support the State Border Guard, a significant number of national guards and professional soldiers are currently concentrated at the border between the two countries.
Jauns.lv has already reported that Minister of Defense Artis Pabriks (AP) has expressed concern about the current situation.
Pabriks emphasized that the current situation on the Latvian-Belarusian border is serious, as Belarus continues to direct various types of military units towards Latvia. “We are seeing the deployment of tents, and we cannot rule out the presence of Russian units there. There has also been a presence of heavier weapons that have not been on the border so far,” the minister explained.
The lack of communication between the Latvian and Belarusian border guards is also a concern. Pabriks emphasized that in the past communication between the border guards of the two countries has been good, but now its lack can lead to various misunderstandings and other problems, especially when the border on the Belarusian side is guarded by compulsory soldiers who are ill-prepared. “However, we are trying and will continue to cooperate and seek dialogue with the Belarusian border guard,” Pabriks added.
