Latvia completes fence on border with Russia

Riga (dpa) – Latvia has permanently reinforced its eastern border with Russia with a fence – also as protection for the EU’s eastern border. According to the state real estate administration, the last completed sections have been officially handed over. A published video showed a security fence reinforced with barbed wire, next to which patrol paths run along the border strip. This creates a continuous barrier over a length of around 280 kilometers, the authority of the Baltic EU and NATO country in Riga announced.

Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis, also referring to the fence along the Latvian-Belarusian border that was completed in the summer of 2024, spoke of a “significant contribution to the security of the people of Latvia and our country.” By the end of 2026, additional border infrastructure and modern surveillance systems are to be built along the border with both neighboring states. “Our top goal is to create the most modern border protection on the EU’s eastern border,” Kozlovskis was quoted as saying in the statement.

Several years ago, Latvia began securing its land borders with Russia and Belarus with a fence. One reason for this is the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, which the government in Riga sees as a direct threat to national security. For this reason, Latvia – like Estonia and Lithuania – also wants to protect its borders with Russia and Belarus against possible attacks with tank barriers and concrete blocks. (29.12)