"The main goal of the military exercise "Detonators 2023" is to clear the ground of explosive objects, as well as to promote mutual cooperation, exchange of experience and knowledge in the procedures for the destruction of explosive objects," said the release.
The military exercises are organized by the 54th combat support battalion of the 2nd Vidzeme Brigade of the National Guard for more than 100 participants from the armed forces of Belgium, Denmark, France, Estonia, Latvia, the Netherlands and Germany.
The Cekule ammunition warehouse was used for military purposes between 1920 and 1995. Currently, the 240-hectare area is still one of the largest objects contaminated with explosive objects in Latvia.
Since 1994, the surface of the territory has been cleared of unexploded ordnance, and every year specialists in neutralizing unexploded ordnance find and neutralize more explosive objects.
Starting from 2012, bomb squads from NATO and EU countries have participated in the training. Since then, 10,818 explosive items, as well as more than one ton of light rifle ammunition, have been found, neutralized and destroyed.
Local residentsare asked to treat the ongoing exercises with understanding and, for safety reasons, not to visit the territory of the former ammunition warehouse in Cekule.
If you happen to find explosive items, do not touch or move them. The place where the items were found should be fenced off and marked as far as possible. The find should be reported to the nearest State Police department (phone number 110) or by calling phone number 112 and giving a brief description of the found object and its location.
