Latvia’s Defence Intelligence and Security Service (MIDD) has issued a public warning that Russian saboteurs and spies may be operating in the country under the guise of lost tourists, hikers, or aid workers.
The warning was published Wednesday in the MIDD’s annual report, which included a detailed list of indicators for identifying potential operatives. The agency urged the public to remain alert, describing the threat as real and evolving.
The report said suspected agents might appear unkempt, wearing mismatched military or outdoor clothing, and carrying excessive survival gear such as medical kits, radios, or paper maps. They may lack basic knowledge of local terrain, and behave awkwardly in nature, despite presenting as outdoor enthusiasts.
The MIDD noted that some individuals may have short, military-style haircuts, engage in overly curious conversations with locals, or linger near critical infrastructure, military bases, or energy sites without clear purpose. Others may pose as humanitarian workers or sleep in remote areas while showing no genuine interest in nature or hiking.
According to the MIDD, such individuals may be attempting to collect intelligence, sabotage infrastructure, incite public unrest, or even carry out targeted assassinations of “socially significant individuals.”
“The Ukrainian experience shows that Russian special services are able to adapt to the environment and circumstances in which reconnaissance-saboteur groups are used,” the report stated. “Their members may not visually correspond to the classic reconnaissance-saboteur profile.”
The MIDD cautioned citizens against taking independent action if they suspect someone of espionage. “If you do think you might have spotted a sabotage group on Latvian soil, MIDD does not recommend tackling them yourself,” the agency advised. “Instead report your suspicions to the State Police, special services, or the nearest armed forces unit.”
The release comes amid a wave of sabotage incidents across Europe that Western intelligence agencies have attributed to Russian operatives. These include arson attacks, cyber intrusions, and damage to undersea cables. Moscow has denied all allegations.
In Germany, federal prosecutors on Wednesday announced the arrest of three Ukrainian nationals suspected of planning parcel bomb attacks on behalf of Russia.
The arrests follow a series of package explosions last year in Birmingham, Leipzig, and near Warsaw, which security officials suspect were part of a coordinated Russian campaign.
Commenting on the arrests, Thomas Strobl, the interior minister of Baden-Württemberg, said the case was “a tectonic quake” for German domestic security. “We are not at war, but also no longer truly at peace,” he said.
Latvia, a NATO and EU member, is one of several countries in the region ramping up public awareness of potential hybrid threats.
The MIDD’s alert follows similar civil defense campaigns in Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Poland, where governments have distributed booklets on how to prepare for war, sabotage, or natural disasters.
Norway’s recently published civil preparedness guide put the risks bluntly: “Even though in Norway most things generally function as they normally would, we must remain aware that extreme weather, pandemics, accidents, sabotage — and in the worst case, acts of war — can impact us.”
The MIDD operates alongside Latvia’s State Security Service and Constitution Protection Bureau. All three have increased efforts in recent years to warn the public about foreign intelligence activity, particularly following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
