The Saeima Adopts the Law on the Establishment of Anti-Mobility Infrastructure
On Thursday, 2 October, the Saeima approved the Law on the Establishment of Anti-Mobility Infrastructure, aimed at accelerating the military reinforcement of Latvia’s eastern border.
“The new law establishes a special legal framework for the placement of material and technical resources and the construction of infrastructure necessary for anti-mobility and mobility measures, as well as for the expropriation of real estate in the municipalities of Alūksne, Augšdaugava, Balvi, Krāslava, Ludza, and Smiltene, in order to create the Baltic defense line and strengthen the external land border, protecting Latvia from the first centimetre,” explains Minister of Defence Andris Sprūds.
The aim of strengthening the eastern border is to deter Russia and protect Latvian territory. The purpose of the Law on the Establishment of Anti-Mobility Infrastructure is to accelerate the military reinforcement of the eastern border by allowing the placement of obstacles along the border and construction when land expropriation procedures are initiated, by establishing easement rights and granting the land the status of a national interest object.
After the Saeima approves the law, the National Armed Forces will prepare and submit to the Cabinet of Ministers for approval a list of territories and associated real estate necessary for the construction of anti-mobility infrastructure. These territories will be granted national interest object status, and information about them will not be publicly available. Landowners whose property falls within the expropriated territory will be contacted individually by the Ministry of Defence or the State Defence Military Objects and Procurement Center. Fair compensation will be determined by a certified real estate appraiser. Infrastructure development in the border area will take place in phases.
It has already been reported that the Ministry of Defence and the National Armed Forces, while implementing the military reinforcement and anti-mobility plan for Latvia’s eastern border, have identified that various parcels of land will be required for the construction of anti-mobility infrastructure, totalling 2,000 hectares in the Vidzeme and Latgale regions, across six eastern border municipalities – Alūksne, Augšdaugava, Balvi, Krāslava, Ludza, and Smiltene. Some of these identified territories are not state or municipal property but are owned by private individuals or legal entities. This means that each landowner must be individually negotiated with for the purchase (expropriation) of the necessary land, which is time-consuming.
The law will facilitate the implementation of anti-mobility and mobility measures carried out by the National Armed Forces, as construction and forest management regulations will not apply. This means the infrastructure can be built directly by the National Armed Forces without involving private contractors. The plan also involves engaging the State Real Estate Agency (VAS “Valsts nekustamie īpašumi”), which will organize and carry out all work related to the placement of material and technical resources and construction for anti-mobility and mobility measures.
To accelerate the military reinforcement of the border, public procurement regulations will not apply to the construction of military anti-mobility and mobility infrastructure, saving time in strengthening the state border. The law also allows the use of privately owned roads and other territories for infrastructure construction, which will be restored after the work is completed if necessary.
On the Military Reinforcement of the Eastern Border
It has already been reported that, since March 2024, the National Armed Forces have been carrying out the military reinforcement of Latvia’s eastern border. The aim of constructing defensive structures is to deter, stop, and, if necessary, neutralize an aggressor. Priority is given to establishing anti-mobility material depots near key transport arteries, as well as reinforcing existing State Border Guard infrastructure.
In Latgale, along the borders with Russia and Belarus, engineer resource depots have been established, storing tens of thousands of anti-mobility construction elements – concrete blocks produced by Latvian companies, “dragon’s teeth,” “anti-tank hedgehogs,” and others. Similar depots will be established in Vidzeme.
At already closed border crossing points and border control points, anti-mobility structures have been installed to block access. Border-area roads and forest paths are being blocked to restrict transport movement in the border zone. Surveying and planning for obstacle placement along the 400 km border with Russia and Belarus are ongoing. This year, €45 million has been allocated for the military reinforcement of Latvia’s eastern border.
Information prepared by:
MoD Military Public Affairs Department
Media Relations Section
Phone: 67335391
E-mail: prese@mod.gov.lv