Lyce · Hybrid Watch
hw_0d07d15207f287b9
Russian-directed Latvian cell carries out arson attack against a private company involved in a defence project.
According to the Latvian State Security Service, a group formed at the initiative of a Russian intelligence and security service planned and carried out an arson attack in autumn 2023 against property belonging to a private company because the company was implementing a defence-related project. The same group subsequently prepared another operation in early 2024 involving a Ukrainian-registered truck at a critical-infrastructure facility and conducted reconnaissance of additional potential targets, photographing and filming sites and sending the material to organisers in Russia. VDD stated that the perpetrators received reconnaissance and arson assignments through Telegram and sent video evidence of completed tasks back to their Russian organisers. Two Latvian suspects were accused of assisting Russia in activity directed against Latvia’s security and intentionally damaging property, while two others allegedly facilitated recruitment and transportation of the perpetrators. Three members were detained in spring 2025, while a fourth was already imprisoned; VDD requested their prosecution on 17 October 2025. There is an important dating inconsistency in PISM: its narrative describes a successful strike against a private defence contractor in “late 2025,” while its appendix places the four-person Riga arson case in 10.2024. The primary VDD source, however, clearly dates the completed defence-company arson to autumn 2023 and the Ukrainian-truck preparations to early 2024.
E/M/R/S scores
- EExistence0/4 · Not assessed
- MIntent0/4 · Not assessed
- RRussian actor link0/4 · Not assessed
- SRussian state responsibility0/4 · Not assessed
Facts
No facts
Sources
-
- Role
- discovery_lead
- Date
- 2023-10-15T09:14:47Z
According to the Latvian State Security Service, a group formed at the initiative of a Russian intelligence and security service planned and carried out an arson attack in autumn 2023 against property belonging to a private company because the company was implementing a defence-related project. The same group subsequently prepared another operation in early 2024 involving a Ukrainian-registered truck at a critical-infrastructure facility and conducted reconnaissance of additional potential targets, photographing and filming sites and sending the material to organisers in Russia. VDD stated that the perpetrators received reconnaissance and arson assignments through Telegram and sent video evidence of completed tasks back to their Russian organisers. Two Latvian suspects were accused of assisting Russia in activity directed against Latvia’s security and intentionally damaging property, while two others allegedly facilitated recruitment and transportation of the perpetrators. Three members were detained in spring 2025, while a fourth was already imprisoned; VDD requested their prosecution on 17 October 2025. There is an important dating inconsistency in PISM: its narrative describes a successful strike against a private defence contractor in “late 2025,” while its appendix places the four-person Riga arson case in 10.2024. The primary VDD source, however, clearly dates the completed defence-company arson to autumn 2023 and the Ukrainian-truck preparations to early 2024.