Additional anti-tank trenches and sensors to detect drones, as well as other types of equipment, will be deployed to strengthen Latvia’s eastern border, as stated by Defence Minister Raivis Melnis on Wednesday morning during an interview on the Latvian Television programme “Morning Panorama”.
A decision was taken during the closed session of Tuesday’s cabinet meeting to reallocate 11.8 million euros for the military fortification of the state border.
Using these funds, which have been reallocated between the Ministry of Defence’s budget programmes, plans are in place to construct an additional 27 kilometres of anti-tank trenches, deploy ‘dragon’s teeth’, purchase additional sensors and install other barriers, said Melnis.
The minister explained that this year’s budget did not provide for funding on such a scale to improve the Baltic defence line, so a separate decision had to be taken.
"In building the Baltic Defence Line, we are on the same page as our neighbours and coordinate with them," he said.
Similarly, the National Armed Forces plan to install new surveillance systems along the border in the near future, which will enable them to both see and hear what is happening in the border area and detect border violators more effectively. This equipment will help to detect and track attempts at illegal border crossings, said Melnis.
He commented that the pressure of illegal migration at Latvia’s border is not abating, but the State Border Guard, the National Armed Forces, the State Police and the National Guard are cooperating to reduce the number of illegal border crossers travelling through Latvia into the rest of Europe, and more migrant smugglers are being detained, the Defence Minister said.
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