The Latvian Defense Ministry has refuted this information, noting that anti-personnel mines are not used on the border with Russia and Belarus.
A number of Russian media outlets have published news that a Latvian border guard allegedly blew himself up after stepping on one of the mines installed «to deter Russia».
It is worth noting that the original source of this information was a Russian Telegram channel and the news was only spread by the Russian propaganda network. Latvian media outlets did not report this incident.
Official Latvian sources also deny information about a Latvian border guard blowing himself up on a mine installed to «deter Russia». The Latvian Defense Ministry has repeatedly stated that mines are not installed on the Latvian border in peacetime, and such a practice is not provided for by law.
The Latvian Defense Ministry stated that the reports circulating in the media and social networks about the detonation or death of a Latvian border guard are fake, do not correspond to reality and have no confirmation from government agencies. The Defense Ministry urges citizens to rely only on verified sources, as such rumors undermine trust in state institutions.
In addition, local media outlets note that until the end of 2025, Latvia is legally constrained by the provisions of the Ottawa Convention and cannot use such mines even theoretically.
Earlier, StopFake refuted other claims that Latvia will allegedly protect the border from Russia with «useless fence posts» and that Latvia was allegedly left without protection because of Kyiv.
