
Defense


Latvia and Estonia will jointly purchase anti-air defense systems IRIS-T, creating a new “Livonia Shield” for Latvian and Estonian airspace protection, Latvian Defense Minister Ināra Murniece (National Alliance) and Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said at a press conference Sunday, May 21.

In the near future, seven disaster management centers will be designed and constructed in Latvia as part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan approved by the Cabinet at its meeting on May 16.

The United States Department of Energy has announced a $1.3 million investment in strengthening border security and radiation detection in Latvia, the U.S. embassy in Rīga said in a release May 16.

On Monday, May 15, the application for the first draft into the State Defense Service (VAD) finished, with 488 Latvian citizens volunteering, the Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday.

Monday, May 15, is the last day to apply for the first draft into the State Defense Service (VAD). At least 315 volunteers have applied, LSM's Latvian-language service reports.

A destroyed Russian invaders' tank is continuing its tour of Latvia with a few weeks in Valka, right on the border with northern neighbor Estonia's twin town of Valga.

Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand and the Minister of Defense of Latvia, Ināra Mūrniece, announced May 10 that Canada and Latvia will jointly train Ukrainian combat leaders on Latvian soil, starting next week.

May 10 sees the start of international exercise "Dynamic Mercy 2023" organized by the NATO Naval Command in the Baltic Sea – in the Latvian area of responsibility – to improve cooperation in search and rescue operations.

From May 6 to 16, military training exercises under the title 'Solar Eclipse', organized by the Mechanized Infantry Brigade of the Ground Forces, will take place at the Ādaži and Šķēde military training ranges.

Another humanitarian convoy is being escorted from Rīga to Kyiv on Wednesday. Outside the Congress Hall in Rīga, the Confederation of Ukrainian Associations in Latvia "Viche" organized a humanitarian convoy in which among other things, for the first time, impact boats were included, Latvian Radio reported on May 3.
As of 12:00 in the square outside the Congress Hall, representatives of Viche, entrepreneurs, and other organizations gathered.
As of 12:00 in the square outside the Congress Hall, representatives of Viche, entrepreneurs, and other organizations gathered.

On Tuesday, May 2, the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers approved the purchase of the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) system from the United States.

In the near future, the construction of new barracks for soldiers at the Ādaži military base is planned, the commander of the National Armed Forces (NBS), Leonīds Kalniņš, said on Latvian Television's broadcast “Morning Panorama” on May 3.

Over the past 24 hours, on the border of Latvia-Belarus, illegal immigrants attacked a Latvian border guard, which is considered to be an emergency, Guntis Pujāts, chief of the State Border Guard, told LETA and Latvian Radio on May 2.

Due to the rapid increase in the number of attempts to illegally cross the Latvian-Belarusian border as well as the Lithuanian-Belarusian border, the state of emergency has been extended on the border for the seventh time. It is now in force until August 10, 2023, according to a government decision on May 2, LSM reports.

260 young people have already applied to the State Defence Service (VAD), including three women and three young people living abroad, Sandra Brāle, chief press officer of the National Armed Forces (NBS), told newswire LETA on April 29.

British Royal Air Force and German Air Force destroyers in the Eurofighter international airspace above the Baltic Sea identified three Russian reconnaissance planes on Wednesday, Latvian Radio reported.

Last year, the number of cyber-attacks in Latvia increased by 40%, with four times more attacks on public authorities and seven times more searches for different vulnerabilities in the system. Most of these attacks were not noticed by the majority of the public, according to the body “Cert.lv” and the Latvian State Radio and Television Centre (LVRTC), Latvian Radio reported April 26.

The Ministry of Defense has decided to terminate the contract with the company ZĪtari LZ, which won the scandalous procurement for food supplies to the National Armed Forces, Defense Minister Ināra Mūrniece (National Alliance) said in the Latvian Television program “Today's Question” on April 25.

As the summer approaches, the risks of illegal immigration on the border with Belarus are likely to increase, the head of the State Border Guard Guntis Pujāts told LETA on April 24.

Latvia has responded to Ukraine's request for anti-aircraft missiles and has made a decision to donate all the remaining Stinger systems the Latvian army has, said Latvian Defense Minister Ināra Mūrniece (National Alliance) at the Ukraine defense contact group meeting in Ramstein, Germany on April 21.

April 23 to 29 sees excitingly-titled "Verboom 4" military exercises being held at the Ādaži training range near Rīga, with the aim of improving the mutual cooperation of national units in the performance of engineering tasks.

The response to the first voluntary draft into the state defense service (VAD) has been very good, said Defense Minister Ināra Mūrniece (National Alliance) in an interview with Latvian Radio on April 20.

Until May 15, Latvian citizens aged 18 to 27 can apply voluntarily for the first draft of the State Defense Service, using the electronic single recruitment platform “klustikaravirs.lv”, the Ministry of Defense said April 19.

Latvia's cyberspace security risks are still at a high level, said Baiba Kaškina, head of the Information Technology (IT) Safety Incident Prevention Institution Cert.lv, in an interview with Latvian Television April 19 morning.

The Latvian Ministry of Defense said April 19 it had dismissed an official from post over a controversial military procurement contract.

The President of Latvia Egils Levits has proclaimed the State Defense Law in the official Latvijas Vēstnesis on Tuesday, April 18, LETA reported.

Thursday, April 13 saw Latvian Minister of Defense Ināra Mūrniece meeting with the Secretary of Defense of the United States, Lloyd J. Austin III at the Pentagon.

On Wednesday, April 5, the Saeima decided on the re-introduction of the compulsory national defense service in Latvia by adopting the draft law on the State Defense Service and related bills in the final reading.

Belarusian border guards have attempted to arm illegal migrants crossing the Latvian border with firearms, the Chief of State Border Guard Guntis Pujāts said on Latvian Television on April 4.

On Tuesday, March 29, it is 19 years since Latvia became a NATO member. According to experts, Latvia's participation in the world's most powerful military alliance is the most important thing that has happened in the area of national security.
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