Latvian military commander warns of Russian hybrid threats

Kaspars Pudāns, commander of the Latvian National Armed Forces, stated that Russia is utilizing intimidation and hybrid tactics to attempt to halt Western support for Ukraine. He noted that much of this strategy involves sabotage acts that are easy to organize and require minimal investment but achieve significant effects. Pudāns highlighted the difficulty in defending against such evolving hybrid activities.

Regarding regional security, Pudāns noted that intelligence sharing between the US, Ukraine, and Latvia does not currently indicate a Russian military concentration at the Latvian border. While Russian mobilization remains possible, Pudāns suggested any additional troops would likely be poorly trained individuals deployed into the conflict in Ukraine.

Concurrently, Latvia has commenced 'Namejs', a month-long comprehensive national defense exercise. The exercises aim to incorporate global combat experiences, new technologies, and tactical transformations, with many activities taking place outside of traditional military training grounds.