Recently, Russia has been struggling with attacks from Ukrainian drones on its energy and port infrastructure, stated Major General Kaspars Pudans, commander of the National Armed Forces (NAF) of Latvia, in an interview with the program "900 seconds" on TV3, LETA reports.
He noted that Belarus is also participating in the military actions with its resources; however, both countries are struggling with many problems within their territories.
Although Russian military bases are located where they were in 2013, the presence of military personnel at these bases is significantly lower, as they are currently fighting in Ukraine, the commander of the Latvian army noted.
At the same time, it is necessary to understand and be prepared for the possibility that in the event of a potential end to the war or a ceasefire, the forces of Russia and Belarus will be partially withdrawn and return to their bases, including near the border with Latvia, Pudans explained, confirming that the Latvian army is taking such a scenario into account.
In response to a question about the main conclusions after the incursion of Ukrainian drones directed at Russia into Latvian airspace and the subsequent wave of disinformation from Russian media, the commander of the National Armed Forces noted that the Kremlin is trying to hide from its society its inability to cope with the attacks, resulting in Russian society now witnessing a real war that is being transferred from Ukraine to their territory.
Pudans noted that Russian state propaganda is no longer focused on narratives about how Russia could quickly capture the Baltic countries, but has shifted to claims about alleged NATO plans to threaten Russia. Thus, Russia is preparing its society for a possible future mobilization and tightening of economic conditions and reduction of benefits, as this may be necessary to continue the war in Ukraine, the commander of the National Armed Forces noted.
In turn, Latvia has learned lessons from instances of drones entering its airspace - maintaining constant readiness, developing new procedures, and informing protocols. "It is clear that these attacks from Ukraine on Russian territory expand the area in which we need to be ready to respond to threats, and this is the main conclusion of recent weeks - to expand previous operations along the entire border, partially stretching our capabilities, and possibly conserving them in other areas," Pudans summarized.
