Defense
On Tuesday, April 22, the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers approved a Memorandum of Understanding on the Spanish Ministry of Defense joining the Rīga-based NATO Strategic Communications Center of Excellence (STRATCOMCOE).
The State Security Service (VDD) warns of an increasing risk of right-wing extremism in society, especially among young people. VDD also said that the threat posed by right-wing extremists to Latvia's democratic order is still assessed as low, according to a VDD statement on April 22.
Since Russia started the war against Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the interest of Latvian residents in obtaining weapons permits has increased. Although the number of firearms owners in Latvia has decreased during this period, the number of registered weapons has increased, LSM's Latvian language service reports April 22.
Gunfire was heard all weekend at the Ādaži military base, where hunters practiced shooting together with national guards. The event aims to engage and train as many hunters as possible who have rarely or never taken part in public distance shooting and high-precision shooting drills, Latvian Television reported April 21.
Five German Eurofighter planes and several hundred troops will be based at the Latvian Air Force base in Lielvārde until the end of this year as part of NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission, Latvian Television reports April 17.
There are already 14 countries in the 'drone coalition' founded by Latvia, and after a decision made by the government April 16 Latvia will send the first significant cargo of drones to Ukraine, Prime Minister Evika Siliņa (New Unity) told the media after a cabinet meeting Tuesday.
Hope for the best but expect the worst – this was the motto with which Latvian municipalities were asked to update their civil protection plans in the event of a military threat following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Some have still not done so, Latvian Television's De Facto reported on April 14.
More than 3,000 'LG' TV sets in Latvia are potentially vulnerable, according to the Information Technology Security Incident Response Team "Cert".
The Rīga-based NATO Strategic Communications Center of Excellence (STRATCOMCOE) has published a video promoting a new strategic communications training tool it has developed called 'InfoRange'.
On Tuesday, April 9, the government approved the national counter-terrorism plan, updated by the State Security Service (VDD), which determines the preventive counter-terrorism measures to be taken depending on the level of terrorism threat declared in the country.
From April 8 to 19, international military exercises dubbed "Solar Eclipse IV" will be held at the Ādaži military training ground near Rīga.
The relative calm on the Latvian-Belarusian border is over - with every warmer day, the number of illegal border crossers increases, Latvian Television reported on April 5.
The Center for Geopolitical Studies Riga – an independent Latvian think-tank – has published what it calls its 'Latvian Security Barometer' for the first quarter of the year.
A new research paper examines the progress so far of the NATO 'enhanced forward presence' in Latvia and anticipates what form it might need to take in future to remain an effective deterrent.
On Thursday, April 4, a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of NATO's existence is being held at the Ādaži military base near Rīga.
Latvia plans to sign an agreement with Ukraine on long-term support and security commitments, committing to provide Ukraine with military support of 0.25% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) this year and for the next two years, according to the draft information report prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on April 3.
From April 2 to 5, the gloriously-named "Verboom VI" exercise will take place at the Ādaži military training zone on the outskirts of Rīga.
20 years ago, on March 29, 2004, Latvia joined the North Atlantic Treaty, becoming a member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Latvia, along with Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, was invited to join NATO at the alliance's meeting in Prague in November 2002.
Jets of NATO's Baltic Air Police performed a flyover of central Rīga at 12:55 today to mark the occasion of Latvia's 20 years of NATO membership.
NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) program has announced a major expansion of its network of accelerator sites, which will in future include one in Latvia for the first time.
All conditions in the defense industry will be regulated by a new Defense Industry Law, which was adopted by the Saeima in its final reading on Wednesday, March 27.
State JSC “State real estate” (VNĪ) has entered into 16 agreements with six construction contractors regarding the construction of the fence and infrastructure on the Latvian-Russian border. The first works will begin in early April, according to VNĪ's information on March 26.
The State Security Service (VDD) repeats the warning not to travel to Russia or Belarus ahead of the forthcoming Easter holidays and reiterates the high risks of intelligence activities and recruitment in these territories, VDD said in a statement on March 25.
The Ministry of Defense has proposed solutions for the development of wind farms in Latvia, taking into account the operational needs of the defense sector. The map produced shows that wind farms are not allowed along Latvia's eastern border and in large parts of the coastal area, LSM's Latvian language service reports Monday.
On March 22 the US Congress passed government funding legislation, which includes 228 million dollars' worth of security aid for the Baltic States in 2024, the Estonian Ministry of Defense pointed out March 23.
On Friday, March 22, at the Lielvārde airbase of the National Armed Forces, Defense Minister Andris Sprūds and Air Force Chief of Staff Lieutenant Colonel Indulis Cepurītis opened a new passenger terminal.
On Tuesday, March 19, at the meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group in Ramstein, Germany, the Defense Ministries of Latvia and the Czech Republic signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of military-technical assistance to Ukraine, which provides for the purchase of large-caliber ammunition for Ukraine's needs.
According to the State Land Service (VZD), there are about 30,000 buildings with basements in Latvia that could theoretically be used as shelters. Most of the buildings with basements are apartment blocks, but so far only a few have been surveyed, adapted and are ready to accommodate people in case of danger, Latvian Radio reported on March 20.
Although two years ago - right after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine - municipalities set to work to identify possible shelters, guidelines have only now been developed, so the buildings will be surveyed again. Shelters that meet the minimum requirements will then be compiled into a digital map, while financial support for adapting basements will be available for the rest. The type of support and funding options will be decided in the coming months.
Although two years ago - right after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine - municipalities set to work to identify possible shelters, guidelines have only now been developed, so the buildings will be surveyed again. Shelters that meet the minimum requirements will then be compiled into a digital map, while financial support for adapting basements will be available for the rest. The type of support and funding options will be decided in the coming months.
On Tuesday, March 19, the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers approved the draft law "National Cyber Security Law". The purpose of the draft law is to strengthen cyber security in Latvia, as well as to introduce the revised requirements of the European Union Network and Information Systems Security Directive (NIS2) to achieve a uniformly high level of cyber security throughout the European Union.
Latvia is the only Baltic country to have received funding from the European Commission (EC) Munitions Support Fund. Contracts are not yet signed. However, the Defense Minister expects a munitions plant to be operational by the end of this year, Latvian Television reported Monday March 18.
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