Latvia Finds Tunnel Used for Illegal Crossings

Latvian authorities discovered an underground tunnel used for illegal migrant crossings near the Belarus border.

The State Border Guard, working with State Police, the National Armed Forces and Lithuanian canine units, detained 15 migrants whose dirt- and sand-covered clothing led officers to trace an entry route to a hidden passage roughly 10 meters from the border fence in the Silene Border Guard Unit sector, Skrudaliena parish.

A Tunnel Dug From the Belarusian Side

The approximately 10-meter tunnel had been dug from Belarus, and authorities said they had received prior intelligence about possible tunnel construction in the area.

Most crossing attempts involved scaling or cutting the border fence with tools like metal shears or makeshift ladders before this.

The 15 detained migrants were returned to Belarus, and inspections of the site continued.

Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava called it the first such tunnel found in Latvia and ordered officials to assess additional detection measures, including possible ground scans along the border.

Latvia Launches "Operation Werewolf"

Dombrava and Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs announced strengthened eastern border protection, including closer coordination among security agencies, more intensive drone surveillance, additional military support, and more frequent vehicle checks.

Kulbergs launched Operation Vilkatis ("Werewolf"), coordinated by the Crisis Management Cente, targeting criminal networks that move migrants from the border into the Schengen area.

The operation is planned to run through the end of August 2026.

"We must not be the easiest place," Kulbergs said, warning that smuggling networks would be shut down.

Part of a Broader "Hybrid Threat"

Officials described the pressure as a "hybrid threat" involving Belarus, with Russian involvement, now in its fifth year along the eastern frontier.

Latvia has roughly doubled its border guard presence and maintains an enhanced security regime in affected eastern municipalities through the end of 2026.

It shares a 173 km border with Belarus and has prevented more than 9,500 illegal crossing attempts so far in 2026, with peak days exceeding 100 attempts.

Similar tunnels have previously been found in Lithuania and Poland, and Latvia is coordinating with Estonia, Lithuania and Poland to curb both border crossings and onward movement within the Schengen zone.