On July 22, 2026, the National Armed Forces of Latvia reported another incident on the state border. A group of five or more illegal migrants attempted to unlawfully enter the country’s territory from Belarus. Upon the appearance of the military personnel, the violators began to behave aggressively and throw logs in their direction.
To stop the unlawful actions and prevent escalation, the soldiers used tear gas. When the migrants continued to ignore the demands and maintained their aggression, one warning shot was fired into the air. After that, the group retreated to Belarusian territory.
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs had previously noted a twofold increase in attempts at illegal border crossings and described the situation as a hybrid threat. Additional border guards, as well as Latvian military personnel and colleagues from Lithuania and Estonia, have been deployed to strengthen security.
Latvia, Poland, and Lithuania continue to accuse the Belarusian authorities of organizing migratory pressure on the eastern borders of the EU and NATO. Official Minsk rejects these accusations.