## The border is not yet locked On Saturday, the Latvian government gathered at the Luznava military base in the Rezekne region – part of the agenda concerned defense issues and was closed to the public. However, some issues were made public – in particular, a report prepared by the Ministry of the Interior regarding security at the Eastern border. The Latvian-Belarusian border, stretching 173 km, is fully secured with border infrastructure (patrol paths, walkways, bridges, channels, bypass roads) only along 7.7 km; construction work has been completed over 40.6 km and is undergoing acceptance for operation; active construction work continues over another 121.6 km, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. On its part, the border with Russia, along all 283.6 km, is fenced with barbed wire. Technical control systems are being equipped – they have only been completed over 22.8 km, with completion expected by the second quarter of 2027. ## We are not losing popularity At the same time, since the beginning of 2026, 5,981 attempts to illegally cross the borders with the Russian Federation and Belarus have been thwarted. January saw 0, February 20, but in May there were already 2,433 illegal immigrants trying to enter Latvia. Since the beginning of the year, 84 criminal cases have been initiated against those facilitating violations. According to the information from Janis Dombrova's office (National Alliance), "increased security risks remain" at the external borders of the European Union and NATO. These include: - Attempts to illegally cross the border, still the greatest migration pressure on the Latvian-Belarusian border; - The possibility of hybrid threats and provocative actions; - The ongoing risk of smuggling and other cross-border crime; Against this backdrop, the Ministry of the Interior needs to "ensure continuous operational readiness." "The situation requires physical and material resources for constant monitoring and rapid response," the security forces summarize. ## Sirens are ready Since the Ministry of the Interior is also responsible for the civil defense system, the government was informed about the construction of category II shelters. In 10 municipalities of Latgale, including the Aluksne region, there are 119 bunkers funded by the European Regional Development Fund (€1,948,429) and the European Economic Area (€3,475,592). The region has replaced 31 and additionally installed 16 alarm sirens – more than anywhere else in the republic, except for the Riga region. The presentation by the Ministry of the Interior also updated inter-agency cooperation – hence it concludes with a joint photo of the Minister of the Interior Janis Dombrova and the Minister of Defense Raivis Melbiks.