Politics

Latvia installs surveillance towers to secure border with Belarus

The new towers are intended to help detect illegal crossings. Photo:
The new towers are intended to help detect illegal crossings. Photo: vni.lv
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Latvia has installed four of six planned surveillance towers near its border with Belarus, State Real Estate VNĪ said on Friday.

The new towers along the Daugava River are designed to enhance border control efficiency and detect illegal crossings and other violations.

The project, costing over €3.6 million, has been funded by the European Union Fund (75%) and Latvia’s state budget (25%).

The Latvian-Belarusian border fence, completed in July, spans 145 kilometers.

Along the land sections where 112 km of the fence were built last year, current infrastructure work includes 46.16 km of patrol tracks for light vehicles (up to 3.5 tons) and 17 km of foot patrol tracks.

Additionally, 1.75 km of pontoon patrol lines have been constructed, improving border guards’ ability to access and monitor the area.

The remaining 16.7 km of the border, particularly around Lake Riču where no fence is yet in place, is expected to be secured by 2025.

Many European countries, including the Baltic states and Poland, have accused Minsk and Moscow of orchestrating a migrant crisis by funneling migrants via Belarus into the EU.

Russia and Belarus have denied the accusations.
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