RIGA (LATVIA) – our correspondent. The RESOLUTE WARRIOR exercise will take place tomorrow at Camp Adazi (Latvia).
It reaffirms NATO’s commitment to collective defence, ensuring that all member Nations of the Atlantic Alliance are protected and can rely on each other in times of need, in accordance with the principle of Collective Defense and the Article 5 of the NATO Treaty.
The RESOLUTE WARRIOR exercise will involve more than 3,500 soldiers and 1,000 vehicles, uniting forces from 12 countries to strengthen the level of interoperability and operational readiness.
RESOLUTE WARRIOR highlights NATO’s readiness and preparedness to respond to any threat, raising the bar for conducting complex, multi-domain operations.
Report Difesa, as already happened last September in Estonia, also wants to talk about this Baltic country and the role of its Armed Forces.
For this reason, we exclusively interviewed the Latvian Defence Minister, Mr. Andris Sprūds.
The Latvian Defence Minister, Mr. Andris Sprūds
Minister, what does NATO’s presence in your territory represent?
It is an example of how countries can achieve stability and security through cooperation.
The multinational brigade in Latvia currently unites forces from 13 NATO member states including Italy. On a very practical level, it shows what NATO is and how nations’ armed forces can work together despite their different backgrounds.
Why was Camp Adazi chosen?
Adazi military base historically has been one of the largest military basis in Latvia with close proximity to Adazi training area which is one of the largest training facilities in the region.
Distance from the capital city Riga, large training grounds, as well as Latvian Armed Forces presence has been the main drivers for Allied investments into the base and training area.
After 2014 invasion of Ukraine significant investment were made by NATO, US and Canadian forces in developing accommodations, road infrastructure, base support infrastructure, shooting ranges and logistics base to accommodate increased Allied presence in Latvia.
Base and training area are constantly developing to accommodate new Allied and national units, including conscript service, as well as new capabilities.
Is the Baltic region really at risk of a Russian attack?
Russia will remain a security problem for all of us. It has shown readiness to use military strength to accomplish its geopolitical goals in the region.
In response, Latvia has developed the comprehensive national defence system, which focuses on (1) strengthening of our deterrence and defence capabilities, and (2) strengthening of resilience, capacity building and societal will to defend the state.
Latvia has significantly intensified the defence capability building and investing into our own security (capabilities, infrastructure and personnel).
Regardless, of all our efforts, NATO and allies are crucial for our defence.
Do your Armed Forces also receive NATO standard training or do you have your own training system?
The training process established by the National Armed Forces of Latvia is designed to ensure that soldiers receive both individual and collective training in accordance with NATO directives.
This comprehensive approach enhances the skills of each soldier while also promoting collective tasks, ensuring that our forces are well prepared to handle state defence tasks during crises or military conflicts.
In September I was in Estonia and in December I should go to Lithuania. Does the unity of the forces of these 3 countries, together with the support of NATO, make the civilian population feel calmer?
The Unity between the Baltic States stretches for more than a century and exists beyond the defence sector. This cultural and political unity is definitely a welcome advantage, because even in the face of the threat posed by Russia, we can as a minimum always count on each other.
However, the most reassuring aspect comes from the presence of allied forces in our countries. The real, practical support in the strengthened defence posture through NATO is Forward Land Forces, is the aspect that is most visible to our citizens.
Latvian’s value very highly the military support by all of our allies, including the substantial contribution by the Italian Armed Forces.
Latvia borders Belarus and Russia. How do you operate to defend your borders?
We are enhancing Latvian border security – it is the external border not only of Latvia, but of the entire NATO and EU. It is our key priority in order to deal with possible provocations, hybrid warfare and threats from Russia and Belarus.
Latvia is strengthening the border security as part of a joint initiative together with Lithuania and Estonia in accordance with the Baltic Defence Line Agreement.
We acknowledge the challenge with countering unmanned systems; therefore Latvia is expanding anti-drone capabilities and acquiring IRIS-T air defence systems. Additionally, Spain has deployed NASAMS medium range air defence systems in Lielvarde Air Base.
The Latvian Defence Minister, Mr. Andris Sprūds: “Latvia is strengthening the border security as part of a joint initiative together with Lithuania and Estonia in accordance with the Baltic Defence Line Agreement”
His colleague in Estonia has always asked Parliament to allocate more money for more modern weapons. Did he do the same thing?
Unlike Estonians, we have a specialized, politically approved law that determines the increase of the defence budget, expecting to reach 3% of GDP in 2027.
However, taking in consideration common regional security challenges after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the government has set defence as the only budget priority in 2025, thus reaching 3.45% of GDP already in 2025.
In order to ensure the development of the anti-aircraft defence capability, the government has allocated an additional 1 billion EUR for that.
Currently in budget discussions, additional funding will be allocated also for the purchase of ammunition and support to Ukraine.
In addition, this year government decided to allocate additional funding also for the military strengthening of the country’s eastern border, which is also the external border of the EU and NATO.
In addition to the protection system from attacks on the ground there are also cyber attacks. How does Latvia act to defend its infrastructure in this regard?
Latvia has developed a Comprehensive Defence System, in which public sector institutions, as well as the private sector and citizens have clearly defined roles and tasks in ensuring state defence.Cyber-security plays a key role within the Comprehensive Defence System.
Cyber-space is under constant attack. Since February 2022, threat level in Latvian cyberspace has been high, but the situation is being assessed as stable. According to statistics, in 2024 we have observed the highest threat level since the start of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
The threat level has been growing steadily each quarter of the year, reaching historically the highest number of compromised unique IP addresses in the third quarter of 2024.
Although we face more significant cyber-security risks than ever before, cyber-attacks encountered so far have not caused serious or long-lasting effects on Latvian society. This demonstrates Latvia’s ability to resist cyber-aggressors’ malicious activities successfully.
We are constantly monitoring the situation within our cyber-space. Furthermore, we are capable of attributing malicious activities both technically and politically.
Malicious activities against Latvia’s state institutions are mainly carried out by hacktivist groups and Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups linked to Russia.
It is expected that the Baltic states, Poland as well as the Nordic region will remain targets of Russian cyber-operations in the long-term.
In addition, we are also observing waves of financially motivated fraud activities within our cyber-space. Fraudsters use the identity of public sector institutions such as the State Police and Courts, aiming to defraud citizens of their finances and steal data.
Currently, we are reforming our cyber-security governance and taking necessary steps to strengthen cyber-security across various sectors in line with the requirements put forward by the EU legislation like the NIS2 Directive.
Our top priority is enhancing cyber resilience and preparedness with a particular focus on state information systems and critical infrastructure.
Enhanced and persistent cooperation between public and private sector, as well as with our international partners are of utmost importance in achieving this goal.
A key line of our effort has been targeted Threat Hunting Operations that we have been carrying out for two years now in public sector networks as well as critical infrastructure networks.
Through proactive searches to identify cyber attackers we aim to enhance the resilience of infrastructure and services by uncovering vulnerabilities within the existing frameworks.
We are actively cooperating with our allies in this regard. Our main partner is Canada, together with whom we recently developed a unique specialized training course to advance threat-hunting capabilities. This course has generated increased international interest.
Andris Sprūds: “Latvia has developed a Comprehensive Defence System, in which public sector institutions, as well as the private sector and citizens have clearly defined roles and tasks in ensuring state defence.Cyber-security plays a key role within the Comprehensive Defence System.”
Is the high presence of Russian-speaking citizens in Latvia worrying from a national security point of view?
Russia uses a wide spectrum of hybrid warfare tools against Western countries. Also Latvia experiences Russian information operations, cyber-attacks and psychological operations aimed to divide society, especially taking in consideration that 23% of Latvia’s population are ethnic Russians, but a significant proportion 11% is composed of representatives of other nationalities (according to the data in January 2024 by the Central Statistical Bureau).
Russia probably will continue to use disinformation campaigns, influence operations in the information space, and other tools to influence public opinion and democratic decision-making. The main goal of our adversary is to undermine trust by portraying Latvia as a failed, weak, incapable country, and a historical mistake.
However, National Armed Forces are one of the most successful example of societal integration, because individuals are not distinguished by nationality, language or education, everyone serves for the same goal – ensure the protection of the country’s territory and all inhabitants of Latvia from the first centimetre, denying the enemy the opportunity to advance and establish a foothold in Latvian territory, using all necessary and available means.
In addition, the implementation of national defence training in all schools across Latvia plays an essential role in societal integration. It gives pupils strong foundation for civic participation that is crucial for strengthening democracy, regardless of ethnic background, and imparts fundamental knowledge and skills related to national security.
Various governments of Eastern European countries are calling for an end to the war in Ukraine. In your opinion, what needs to be done to end the conflict? And above all, what will be the exit strategy and the line of conduct for reconstruction?
Latvia will support whatever course Ukraine deems appropriate – currently there is clear will by Ukrainian government and people to continue the fight for as long as necessary to regain full territorial integrity, including the territories in Luhansk, Donetsk and Crimea.
In this regard, Latvia fully supports strengthening Ukraine’s military capacity, so that this war of attrition between Russia and Ukraine would eventually decisively favour Ukraine.
Latvia together with Estonia and Lithuania have committed to spending at least 0,25% of annual GDP for military support to Ukraine each year. We urge all allies to increase military support to Ukraine, because this is not just a fight between two countries, but a fight between democratic and authoritarian world order.
The Baltic countries could participate. As?
Latvia’s has always supported more proactive approach to supporting Ukraine, including removing restrictions from use of advanced weaponry in the territory of the aggressor or providing air defence coverage from other European countries over at least parts of Ukrainian territory.
However, because Russia remains a threat and our own defence capabilities are limited and critically needed at home, without a leading role by some of our more capable allies, it is difficult to provide direct military support, which would provide any practical benefit.
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