Latvia Sees No Signs of Increase in Refugee Flow from Russia after Prigozhin's Rebellion

Monday, 26 June 2023

In Latvia, there are currently no signs that the flow of refugees from Russia has increased after the attempted armed coup by the Wagner Group.

According to media outlet LSM, Latvian Interior Minister Maris Kucinskis, said that no changes had been recorded on the Latvian-Russian border either on the day of the rebellion or now. On the evening of 25 June, there were about 50 cars and several pedestrians on the border between Latvia and Russia.

The Head of the Latvian Ministry of Internal Affairs noted that the border between Latvia and Belarus is still under tight security.

Commenting on the departure of the Wagner Group to Belarus, Kucinskis said that no hasty conclusions should be drawn.

"Belarus has taught us to be vigilant. The involvement of border guards is quite high. We are vigilant," he added.

An actual violent confrontation between the head of the Wagner Group and the official Russian leadership started unfolding in Russia on the evening of 23 June. Vladimir Putin spoke of civil war and coup in a special address.

On the evening of Saturday, 24 June, after a conversation with Alexander Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed President of Belarus, Prigozhin announced that his mercenaries were turning their convoys around and going in the opposite direction, back to their field camps. Later, the Kremlin announced that the criminal case against Prigozhin would be closed and he would "go to Belarus".

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