We are building a border, but thousands of freight cars from Russia pass through Latvia - what are they carrying? 0 8

Independent Saeima deputy Didzis Šmits stated that despite efforts to strengthen the Latvian border, thousands of Russian freight cars continue to pass through the country.

In the TV24 program "Preses klubs," the secretary of the Saeima Human Rights and Public Affairs Commission, independent deputy Didzis Šmits, expressed concern about the security situation at the borders and issues related to the transit of goods from Russia.

The politician noted that despite efforts to strengthen the border and implement new technological solutions, thousands of Russian freight cars still travel through Latvia. "I don’t know about smuggled cigarettes, but the fact that drones will be flying and constantly tested at the border is, in my opinion, today’s reality," Šmits said, commenting on a recent incident where 12 meteorological balloons launched from Belarus were shot down in Lithuania.

According to him, Europe’s readiness to confront such threats remains extremely low. "It is clear that Europe’s ability to deal with drones is very weak, but there is an awareness that this needs to be worked on," the politician emphasized.

Šmits pointed out that the main problem lies not only in the drones coming from Russia or Belarus but in a broader understanding of national security as a whole. "The main question is not that something is flying over us. The question is how we look to the future. We are building a border, but at the same time, thousands of cars loaded in Russia pass through Latvia," he stated.

The deputy expressed confusion as to why such a situation is allowed in a country that takes a tough stance against Russia and its aggression. "We are not only helping Russia make money from this, but we also do not know what exactly is inside these cars. Who knows what they are carrying? They pass through all the major cities, through strategic facilities," Šmits emphasized.

He also added that the country needs to clearly formulate a strategic vision for the future: "We need to understand how we see our life moving forward. Are we building a new 'Iron Curtain' or hoping that after all this, everything will return to how it was before, and we will actively trade with Russia again?" Šmits concluded.