Latvia’s public broadcaster LSM reported that the Latvian army has commenced digging anti-tank ditches as part of the first line of defense along the border with Russia. The initial twenty-kilometer stretch is expected to be completed within four months.
A chain of fortifications, consisting of various obstacles, is planned to be erected along the Latvia-Russia and Latvia-Belarus borders. The first line is being constructed near the Terehova border crossing in the Ludza municipality, approximately one kilometer from the Russian border.
According to Colonel Kaspars Lazdins of the Latvian army, the project includes both artificial and natural obstacles such as marshes, forests, and rivers. The anti-tank ditches will then be reinforced with the construction of so-called “dragon’s teeth.” In the event of wartime operations, the obstacles may be supplemented with minefields, the officer added.
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania agreed at the end of January to build a Baltic defense line to strengthen their borders with Belarus and Russia. In March, as recalled by LSM, the Latvian government approved the plan to immobilize the enemy at the border. The implementation cost over five years is estimated to be 303 million euros.
The length of the Latvian-Russian border exceeds 283 kilometers.