Russia in Latvia is looking for new leaders among compatriots. At the same time, it recruits individuals linked to the criminal environment for organizing sabotage, said TV3 head of the State Security Service (SSS) Normunds Mezhviets.
“This has always been a significant problem for the Russian authorities — the lack of new leaders in our country. This is not only about us: Russia has faced similar challenges while organizing its influence operations in many other countries,” noted Mezhviets.
“Over the past few years, we have observed quite desperate attempts by Russia to form new groups of leaders here — young, educated people who could eventually take over the leadership of the so-called compatriot organizations, coordinating the organizations of the Russian-speaking population to achieve Russia's goals,” stated the head of the State Security Service.
The main targets of the Russian special services are military facilities and critical infrastructure, Mezhviets revealed. “Last year, several incidents occurred on the territory of our state, which we are currently investigating and in which we do not rule out a connection to tasks assigned by the Russian special services.”
Last year, a group was uncovered that set a fire at a defense enterprise in 2023. The same individuals planned to set fire to cargo trucks with Ukrainian license plates at a critical infrastructure site. They compiled a list of potential targets for sabotage — memorial sites, power supply facilities, warehouses with flammable goods, and military objects.
According to Mezhviets, the profile of individuals recruited by Russia consists of people connected to the criminal environment: those previously involved in illegal activities and who have been incarcerated.
Former prisoners and individuals with drug dependencies participate for money in information gathering and organizing sabotage, but there are also those who provide information voluntarily — guided by ideological motives.
