Main points
- Russia is recruiting people with criminal pasts in Latvia to carry out sabotage against military and critical facilities.
- In particular, 4 people suspected of espionage were detained, who were collecting information about Latvia's civilian and military infrastructure.
Russia recruits criminals to organize sabotage in Latvia / Collage by Channel 24, photo by Getty Images and Unsplash
Russia is desperately looking for new “leaders” in Latvia who could promote Russian narratives. However, it mainly recruits individuals to organize sabotage activities related to the criminal environment.
This was stated by the head of the State Security Service (SSS) Normunds Mežviets, quoted by Delfi.
How do Russian special services work in Latvia?
The main target of Russian special services is military facilities and critical infrastructure.
In 2025, there were several incidents in Latvia that are under investigation and may involve Russia.
“None of these incidents caused significant damage to Latvia's national security interests,” Mežviets noted at the same time.
One such incident involved a group of individuals who set fire to a defense project company. The incident itself occurred in 2023, and the suspects were found in 2025.
It was established that the same people planned to burn trucks with Ukrainian license plates on the territory of a critical infrastructure facility.
They had a whole list of potential targets for sabotage: memorials, power plants, warehouses with flammable goods, and military facilities.
Mezhviets said that the Russians are recruiting individuals who have engaged in illegal activities and have been in prison.
In addition, these people are connected by certain criminal corporate ties. They have a wide range of contacts and acquaintances with similar interests. Therefore, having recruited one such person, there are ample opportunities to rely on him and involve a number of other people he knows in similar activities,
– added the head of the State Security Service.
According to him, it is not only former prisoners or drug addicts who collect information and organize sabotage for money, but there are also those who voluntarily provide information for ideological reasons.
Currently, 4 people are in custody, detained in early 2026 – three Latvian citizens and one foreigner.
I suspect them of espionage. They purposefully collected intelligence information about Latvia's civilian and military critical infrastructure, as well as individuals and organizations participating in activities in support of Ukraine.
However, the number of detainees may increase, as several more people are currently in the sights of the State Security Service.
“For several years now, we have seen quite fierce attempts by the Russian side to create groups of new leaders here, young, educated people, who could in the future lead these so-called organizations of compatriots, coordinate organizations of the Russian-speaking population to achieve Russian goals,” the head of the SDB noted.
Russian spies in the world
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In an exclusive column for Channel 24, Oleg Savitsky, strategic advisor to Razom We Stand, described how Russia works through scientists in the EU. For example, one of the key figures is Katya Yafimava, a long-time researcher of European gas markets, an employee of the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, and since 2025, Vice-Chair of the Group of Experts on Gas of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. For almost 20 years, her public positions have systematically coincided with the key interests of Gazprom and Russia.
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In addition, in the summer of 2025, a group of Russians associated with Yevgeny Prigozhin were detained in Argentina. They were conducting disinformation operations in the interests of the Kremlin. The Russian spy network operated, in particular, through the organization La Compañía.
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Russia also involves its church in espionage. In particular, the Russian Orthodox Church in Sweden is suspected of espionage due to its location near the airport and limited access for visitors and the presence of surveillance cameras. And the rector of the church, Pavel Makarenko, has ties to Russian intelligence, was convicted of financial fraud and received a medal for service to intelligence.