The Riga City Court will continue to hear the case against four citizens of Latvia accused of organizing arson and reconnaissance of facilities on behalf of the Russian special services. According to the investigation, the targets were infrastructure and defense-related facilities.
On Wednesday, the Riga City Court will continue to hear one of the most high-profile cases in recent months related to threats to Latvia's internal security. Four citizens of the country are on trial, accused of sabotage activities in the interests of Russia.
The accused in the case are Karina Ivanova, Konstantin Shiryayev, Konstantin Yakubovsky, and Denis Lukanyenok.
According to the prosecutor's office and the Security Police (SP), the group was engaged in the preparation and organization of arson attacks on various facilities in Latvia. The investigation believes that the actions were coordinated at the initiative of the Russian special services.
According to the indictment, in the autumn of 2023, an arson attack was carried out on a tent hangar belonging to a private enterprise related to the defense sector. In addition, the accused, as the investigation claims, conducted reconnaissance of other potential targets, photographed the objects, and sent materials to the organizers in Russia.
Investigators also established that in early 2024, the group was preparing to set fire to a truck with Ukrainian license plates on the territory of a critical infrastructure facility. For this purpose, the suspects studied the surroundings and possible routes of penetration.
According to the prosecution, roles within the group were distributed. Some were responsible for finding executors, others provided transport and logistics, while the direct executors participated in reconnaissance and arson.
Importantly, this is not only about the fact of arson but also about attempts to create an atmosphere of instability and pressure on facilities related to the security of the state. In the last two years, similar cases in the Baltic countries have become noticeably more frequent.
The SP initiated a criminal process in the summer of 2024. Three of the suspects were detained in the spring of last year, while the fourth was already in custody for another criminal case.
All the accused had previously been convicted of other crimes, but had not come to the attention of the special services before. According to the SP, the main motive for participating in diversionary activities was financial gain.
Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis had previously stated that in the last two years, there have been at least ten cases of sabotage in Latvia. According to him, 2024 became a turning point when attempts at informational influence began to be replaced by physical attacks on infrastructure.
Against this backdrop, the authorities are increasingly discussing strengthening the capabilities of the special services and additional measures to protect critically important facilities.
Currently, three of the accused are in custody, while another is already serving a sentence for another case. The court proceedings continue.
