Latvia is installing 'dragon's teeth' and anti-tank trenches along its border with Russia
This has been reported by LSM.
It is noted that this land was previously expropriated for national defence purposes, as the construction of the Baltic Defence Line infrastructure is planned directly along the border, including areas where private property is located.
The barriers are arranged in three rows, approximately 10 metres wide, and are designed to prevent military equipment from crossing the border.
Each of the dragon’s teeth weighs around one and a half tonnes. Military officials have noted that the gaps between them are small, so military equipment cannot pass through.
The manufacture and delivery of the barriers to their deployment sites began as early as 2024, but their physical installation on state and municipal land began in 2025.
Land expropriation became one of the biggest challenges, as part of the infrastructure is being built on private land, but the Law on the Creation of Anti-Vehicle Infrastructure significantly accelerated this process.
“Before the Law on the Creation of Anti-Vehicle Infrastructure was passed, we faced restrictions. We could not simply go and start deploying these mobility barriers on private land. This issue has now been resolved,” said Andris Riksts, the officer in charge of the “Baltic Defence Line” project.
According to the publication, landowners will receive fair compensation for the expropriation of land required for the construction of the infrastructure, to be determined by a special commission with the assistance of a certified property valuer.
The aim of the defence line is not only to deter a potential adversary, but also, if necessary, to stop and destroy them whilst they are still at the border.
“If something happens, we need to be able to destroy them here, because we see this in Ukraine – once we give up land, it is practically impossible to get it back,” said Riksts.
He emphasised that in modern warfare, it is not only defence against drone and missile attacks that is important, but also control of the ground.
“They won’t be able to subdue us with drones. In Ukraine, we see that there are hundreds of drone and missile attacks every day, but as long as the land is held and no one physically comes and drives people from their homes, this land is ours,” the officer added.
In addition to the "dragon’s teeth", there are also plans to construct anti-tank trenches in the future.
The total length of Latvia’s border with Russia and Belarus is approximately 450 km. This year, Latvian troops plan to build over 8 km of anti-vehicle infrastructure.
As a reminder, it was previously reported that the EU fears Russia may attack Europe within the next 12 months.
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