And drunken snow maidens. Latvians are strongly advised to refrain from holiday trips to the Russian Federation and Belarus 0 7

The agency reminds that Latvian state institutions have limited capabilities to assist their citizens who find themselves in difficult situations in Russia or Belarus.

The Security Police has established that the special services of the Russian Federation and Belarus "aggressively use the opportunity to interrogate and recruit foreigners on their territory, where they have virtually unlimited freedom of action. The employees of the special services of these states do not hesitate to use aggressive and illegal methods to coerce people into cooperation."

If a trip to one of these countries is unavoidable, the Security Police recommends not taking a personal mobile phone, especially if it contains work or sensitive information. At border checkpoints, data from the phone can be extracted, and the device itself can be infected with spyware. A safer option is to use a mobile phone with a prepaid card, which can be disposed of after the trip. It is also not recommended to take a computer, flash drives, or other data storage devices.

The Security Police warns that the identification of potential recruitment targets begins already at border crossing points, where representatives of the special services may pose as border guards or use other disguises — as law enforcement or any other institutions of Russia or Belarus. Moreover, important information for them can be obtained even during a casual conversation.

The Security Police urges paying attention to signs that may indicate contact with representatives of the special services of the Russian Federation or Belarus when crossing the border:

• unusually intensified checks and interrogations;

• the interrogation is conducted by a person in civilian clothes, not in border guard uniform;

• questions unrelated to the competence of border guards are asked, for example, about the situation in Latvia, attitudes towards events in Ukraine, Ukrainian refugees in Latvia, or the support Latvia provides to Ukraine;

• personal questions are asked — about place of work, job responsibilities, financial situation;

• accusations of violations or crimes are made with the aim of coercing "cooperation" in exchange for release from liability;

• a phone number is provided with instructions to contact upon the next entry into the country.

In case of suspicion of contact with representatives of the special services of Russia or Belarus, the Security Police urges reporting this by calling the 24-hour service phone 67208964 or writing to the email address info@vdd.gov.lv. The Security Police guarantees the confidentiality of the information provided.