{"id":207187,"date":"2026-10-13T11:58:02","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T08:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/207187\/"},"modified":"2026-10-13T11:58:04","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T08:58:04","slug":"group-with-alleged-intelligence-ties-claims-responsibility-for-latvian-border-armed-standoff","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/207187\/","title":{"rendered":"Group with alleged intelligence ties claims responsibility for Latvian border armed standoff"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (Latvian Armed Forces)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

October 13, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>A group called Chernyye Rusy [Black Russes] has claimed responsibility for an armed standoff in early October between armed men attempting to smuggle 20 foreigners from Belarus and Latvian border guards, LSM<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The little-known group posted a one-minute video on Telegram promising to continue \u201ccovert operations.\u201d The footage showed a man wearing a balaclava and using altered voice, who pledged to \u201ccontinue carrying out sabotage operations\u201d against Belarus\u2019 neighbors. He described the incident in early October as \u201ca test for the Latvians, which they failed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

J\u0101nis S\u0101rts of the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence questioned whether the group existed, describing the border incidents as an intelligence-led information operation aimed at provoking an emotional response, particularly among people genuinely concerned about the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The expert acknowledged that Belarus may be trying to distance itself from the incident, as it recently did at the United Nations, but said that the Belarusian and Russian authorities were directly responsible for border tension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Latvia\u2019s Interior Minister J\u0101nis Dombrava accused Belarus of staging a \u201cdemonstrative and aggressive provocation\u201d on the shared border in early October after armed escorts of the undocumented foreigners threatened Latvian soldiers from the Belarusian side. Authorities in Minsk \u201cshould understand that such incidents could lead to more serious consequences for Belarus,\u201d the official stressed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Undocumented third-country nationals have attempted to cross irregularly into Latvia via Belarus for more than 200 consecutive days, according to Pozirk\u2019s<\/em> analysis of border guards\u2019 data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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