The Latvian Armed Forces have begun installing anti-tank barriers, known as “dragon’s teeth”, at certain sections along the border with Russia. The barriers are being installed in three rows, their width is approximately 10 meters. Each concrete block weighs about 1.5 tons. This is reported by LSM.
The military says that the gaps between them have been determined so that military equipment cannot overcome the barrier. Colonel Andris Rieksts, who is responsible for the Baltic Defense Line project, explained that the Ukrainian experience was taken into account during construction.
“If something happens, we need to destroy them here — because we see from the example of Ukraine: once you give away land, it is practically impossible to return it,” he emphasized.
The construction and delivery of the barriers began in 2024, but the direct installation on state and municipal lands started only in 2025. One of the main problems was the seizure of private plots, because part of the infrastructure is being built on private property. The process was significantly accelerated by the new law on the construction of anti-vehicle infrastructure.
“Before the law was passed, we faced restrictions – we could not come and start installing barriers on private land. Now this has been resolved,” — said Rieksts.
The total length of Latvia’s border with Russia and Belarus is about 450 kilometers. During this year, it is planned to equip more than 8 kilometers of infrastructure designed to deter the movement of equipment. In particular, the creation of anti-tank ditches is envisaged.
Latvia is implementing the Baltic Defense Line jointly with Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland. The project started about two years ago, and all work is planned to be completed by 2028.
