Latvian Border Guard: Belarus Was Well Aware Of The Tunnels For Migrants At The Border
1- 28.08.2026, 13:26
Moreover, Belarusian border guards assisted in their construction.
Two underground tunnels on the Latvian-Belarusian border, through which illegal migrants were entering Latvia from Belarus, were dug with the knowledge of the Belarusian authorities. Furthermore, it is likely that the Belarusian side was monitoring the movements of Latvian border guards.
This was stated by the head of the State Border Guard Service Guntis Pujats in an interview with “Latvian Radio”. In his opinion, the tunnel discovered in late August was so large that Belarusian border guards simply could not have failed to notice it.
The entrance to the tunnel, discovered in late August, is located more than 10 meters underground on the opposite, Belarusian, side.
“I am certain that there were observers [on the Belarusian side] who reported what they saw, and work was halted the moment a border patrol approached. (…) It is quite obvious that it would be impossible to build such a tunnel without the knowledge of the Belarusian border guards. The second tunnel was 0.8 meters high and wide, and at least 30 meters long. “They removed 28 cubic meters of soil, installed fairly substantial supports, and laid a plywood roof,” commented the head of the Latvian Border Guard.
Puats speculated that Belarusian border guards might have used thermal imaging cameras to track the approach of Latvian border guards.
“The construction there was quite ambitious, so the services were clearly informed and provided with everything necessary to ensure that the Latvian border guards would not notice the excavation work,” he added.
Pujats noted that a total of 12 such tunnels for migrants have been discovered in Lithuania, and two in Latvia, but that number may increase in the future.
“I’d say we’re expecting the next tunnel. There are reports that they’re digging. It’s only a matter of time,” said Pujats.
But Puyats assured that no one had successfully crossed the Latvian border through these two tunnels: the illegal immigrants were discovered and detained very quickly.
“I think that, overall, for this year, I can say that 95 percent [of border violators were detained],” he noted.
So far, two underground tunnels have been discovered in Latvia through which migrants planned to illegally enter Latvia from Belarus: one in the Skrudaliena parish, Augšdaugava Region, and in Kraslava. The latter turned out to be significantly longer than the former. A total of 28 people were detained while passing through the tunnel.
Operation “Vilkatis” began in Latvia on August 11 to combat illegal migration. The Latvian Air Force increased the number of personnel and equipment to support the border guard service and began using drones, helicopters, and airplanes.
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