Anti-mobility measures worth 303 million euros are planned in border strengthening over the next five years. At the same time, the construction of an almost 20-kilometer fence section on the Latvian-Russian border has been completed.
"The primary goal of strengthening the eastern border is to defend our country and our society from the first centimeter... We are currently deploying anti-mobility barriers in storage parks and will begin a new phase in September with their installation along the Russian-Belarusian border. Our goal is to deter the enemy from any desire or thought of threatening the external border of NATO and the EU. In the event of a real military threat, we are also ready to delay and destroy the enemy," said Defense Minister Andris Sprūds while meeting media at the border.
The financing intended for the strengthening of the eastern border is already being used for the purchase of construction materials - concrete blocks, anti-tank hedgehogs, "dragon's teeth" and 'HESCO' barriers.
On March 5 this year, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a plan that envisages the strengthening of Latvia's eastern border and the introduction of anti-mobility measures. Less than a month later on April 3, five work groups started working simultaneously on different stages in the construction works of the border fence, with 16 people in each group - four equipment operators and twelve workers who installed posts, fence panels and barbed wire. In addition to this, the National Armed Forces carried out the security of the equipment, material and support base. About 100 soldiers and national guardsmen were involved in these tasks every week.
This initiative is part of the wider creation of the Baltic Defense Line, which is being implemented in accordance with the agreement signed by the defense ministers of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia on January 19, 2024 to create a reinforced border for the European Union along its entire Baltic section.
