Normunds Mežviets, the head of Latvia’s State Security Service (VDD), has stated that Belarus is training migrants in combat techniques before forcing them across the borders of the European Union.
In an interview, Mežviets explained that migrants are being prepared for violent confrontations with border guards before being pushed into Poland and the Baltic states.
He described this tactic as part of an increasingly aggressive campaign linked to Russia.
Western officials report that tens of thousands of migrants have crossed into the EU in recent years, viewing this as a form of “hybrid warfare”—using migration as a means to destabilise neighbouring countries and test border security.
Mežviets noted that this approach has escalated significantly: “In the first years, it was relatively calm, but in the last year, it has become more aggressive.”
He also mentioned an “information operation” in which migrants are shown fabricated videos depicting alleged abuse by European border guards. According to Mežviets, the footage is staged, featuring fake injuries created with simple makeup, intended to provoke anger and encourage confrontations.
More concerning, he indicated that intelligence suggests migrants are now being actively trained for violence in camps set up near the border. While he did not disclose operational details, he confirmed the existence of infrastructure, including accommodation sites, storage facilities, and training areas.
Authorities in Poland have reported discovering underground tunnels along parts of the EU’s eastern border, which are allegedly used to facilitate illegal crossings.
The crisis along the EU’s eastern border predates the full-scale war in Ukraine, but it is widely regarded as part of a broader strategy by Moscow and Minsk to pressure NATO’s eastern flank.
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