Latvia

Latvia is fully prepared to synchronize with the European power grid on February 8-9. President Rinkēvičs warns of possible provocations and disinformation from Russia.

The Swedish Prosecutor's Office has determined that the damage to the submarine cable between Sweden and Latvia was not sabotage. The incident was caused by a combination of weather conditions and technical deficiencies.

The German agency Lure used photos of Ukrainians affected by the war in an advertising campaign for the Russian media outlet Meduza. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry demands that the content be removed and that Ukrainians whose grief was exploited apologize.

Yaroslav Lavreniuk won a bronze medal at the European Junior and U20 Championships in Sigulda. The 17-year-old athlete from Zhytomyr showed a time of 1:42.82, losing to two Latvian athletes.

The Silver Dania vessel, which is cruising between St. Petersburg and Murmansk, was detained in the port of Tromso at the request of Latvia. The vessel is suspected of involvement in damaging the submarine cable between Sweden and Latvia.

The President of the European Council announced the readiness of NATO member states in the EU to increase defense spending by more than 2% of GDP. Since 2022, military spending has already increased by 30%.

Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Poland call on the EU to increase military spending to 3% of GDP. The countries propose to use joint borrowing and allocate 50 billion euros for the production of artillery.

Free extracurricular education in Brovary: over 1800 children develop their talents at the Palace of Creativity.

The Ukrainian Navy believes that frequent damage to submarine cables in the Baltic Sea may be a new tactic of the Russian Federation. Since November 2024, there have been several cases of cable damage in different countries.

The Swedish Security Service detained a ship suspected of damaging a communication cable between Sweden and Latvia in the Baltic Sea. The investigation is being conducted under the article “gross sabotage” with the participation of several agencies.

The Swedish side will help Latvia with the investigation into the damage to the submarine cable in the Baltic Sea on Sunday, January 26.

In the Baltic Sea, damage to the underwater fiber optic cable of the Latvian State Radio and Television Center was discovered. Two ships outside Latvian territorial waters were spotted at the scene of the incident.

The American Film Academy has announced the full list of nominees for the 2025 Oscars. The film Emilia Perez received 13 nominations, followed by The Brutalist and Wicked: The Conjuring with 10 nominations each.

Latvia plans to ban Russian and Belarusian citizens from working at critical infrastructure facilities. The ban will also apply to the ownership and management of such facilities.

600 Swedish soldiers arrived in Latvia by sea to participate in a NATO brigade. The unit will guard the border with Russia for 6 months, with the possibility of reinforcement by 200 more troops.

The Latvian basketball player Janis Timma, who committed suicide, may have been involved in the organization of match-fixing. His death could be related to a conflict with Azerbaijani bookmakers.

A court in Riga sentenced a 72-year-old Russian citizen to 8 years in prison for spying for Russia. Explosives and ammunition were found in the convict's garage.

In 2024, Russian courts massively fined journalists and readers of independent media, including Meduza and Radio Liberty. British intelligence believes this is part of a strategy to control the media after the invasion of Ukraine.

Zelenskyy met with Latvian Saeima Speaker Daiga Mierins in Kyiv. The two sides discussed military support, sanctions against Russia, and Latvia's participation in Ukraine's reconstruction.

Latvia has provided Ukraine with military aid worth over €501 million. The countries discussed further cooperation, including support for the defense industry, military training, and the creation of a transport corridor.

The former British prime minister called Putin a dirty word because of his imperial ambitions for Ukraine and the Baltic states. Johnson said that Russia is no longer an empire, and this needs to be realized.

Edgar Platonov, 41, from Latvia, died on December 25, 2024, in Novoyehorivka, Luhansk region. He voluntarily fought as a member of the International Legion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The international Drone Capability Coalition will allocate 45 million pounds for the purchase of drones for Ukraine. The funding comes from the UK, Denmark, the Netherlands, Latvia and Sweden.

Eight Nordic countries have announced their intention to increase assistance to Moldova after the suspension of Russian gas supplies on January 1, 2025. The NB8 countries praised the Moldovan authorities for their efforts to ensure energy stability.

The Ukrainian luge team won a bronze medal in the team relay at the World Cup in Sigulda. The team included six athletes who competed in single and double sleds.

Latvian border guards detained a Ukrainian man who was trying to illegally cross the border from Latvia to Russia on a bicycle. The offender faces a warning or a fine under local law.

Wholesale prices for tangerines in Europe have reached record levels, approaching €2 per kilogram. The reason was a poor harvest in Turkey and weather disasters in the EU in 2024.

Latvia has prepared more than 1,000 combat drones of various types for transfer to Ukraine. In 2025, the country plans to allocate an additional 20 million euros for the purchase of drones as part of a coalition with the United Kingdom.

In 2024, we launched 18 new Ukrainian-language audio guides to cultural sites around the world. We also donated hundreds of Ukrainian books to libraries in 8 countries as part of the Ukrainian Bookshelves project.

Ukrainian wines are rapidly integrating into the global gastronomic culture due to their high quality and naturalness. The products are exported to many countries and appear on the menus of well-known international restaurants.