Sweden will deploy an army battalion of 800 troops to Latvia in early 2025, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced, LSM reports. The mechanised battalion, which may include Leopard tanks, will be part of the Canadian-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence battle group based in Latvia. Sweden is due to join NATO soon. In July 2023,…
Russia will close the Ivangorod checkpoint on the border with Estonia to road traffic as of 1 February 2024, ERR reports. Russia said that the move was due to “renovation work,” which will last until late 2025. Estonia has sent Russia a diplomatic note over the decision. The border crossing between Ivangorod and Estonia’s city…
Ukraine’s National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NAZK) has added Lithuanian fish processor Viciunai Group to its list of “International Sponsors of War,” BNS reports. NAZK stated that Viciunai Group has continued production and hiring at its plant in Russia’s Kaliningrad region even after announcing that it was exiting Russia. Viciunai Group declined to comment on…
The EU should ban the import and transit of grain from Russia and Belarus, Latvia’s Transport Minister Kaspars Briskens stated, LSM reports. He urged the Baltic States to adopt a joint position on the issue, whereas Latvia’s state-owned rail operator, LDz Cargo, insisted on the need for a common EU stance. When Estonia’s state-owned rail…
Lithuania will purchase multifunctional artillery radar systems from the Dutch defence contractor, Thales Nederland, for EUR 126.7mn, BNS reports. The first Thales GM200 MM/C radar systems are due to be delivered by 2026. The agreement includes cooperation in multifunctional radar support between Lithuania and the Netherlands, with potential involvement of the Lithuanian defence industry in…
All 43 Latvian municipalities are mandated to establish local police units as of 1 January 2024, according to recent legal amendments, LSM reports. Seven municipalities, including Rezekne and Ventspils, failed to establish their own police units by the deadline, however. Some municipalities have opted to merge with neighbouring areas. Financial concerns delayed municipal compliance, as…
GPS systems in the Baltic Sea region, including Estonia, experienced disruptions attributed to Russia at the end of 2023, according to monitoring websites, ERR reports. Estonia witnessed major disruptions along its eastern border and in the south. The disruptions were traced back to Russia’s Leningrad region, with potential spillover into Estonian and neighbouring airspace, according…
The Lithuanian Armed Forces (LGP) have received the first batch of Spanish-made EXPAL 120mm mortars, BNS reports. The Defence Ministry said that the modern high-quality weaponry provided a significant enhancement to Lithuania’s indirect fire support capabilities. The mortars have an effective range of up to eight kilometres. Lithuania signed a EUR 9.8mn procurement contract with…
Latvia’s State Security Service (VDD) has detained a Russian citizen on suspicion of espionage, LSM reported. VDD searched five premises in and around Riga and confiscated a large volume of media and documents. VDD found that the person had collected and transferred information regarding critical infrastructure and military objects in Latvia for Russian intelligence. In…