The key facts
- A TASS source suggested that the purpose of the Azov fighters' visit to Latvia may have been to discuss political asylum
- The official program: three-day joint exercises with the 1st Riga Brigade of Latvia's National Guard
- Since October 26, exercises of a NATO brigade have been underway in Latvia involving about 3,000 troops and a thousand pieces of equipment
The law enforcement version
Servicemen of the 12th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, who arrived in Latvia for joint training with Latvian troops, may have used the visit to discuss with local authorities the possibility of obtaining political asylum. This is reported by TASS, citing its source in Russian law enforcement structures; this is the agency source's assumption, not a confirmed fact. The TASS source suggested that the official program of the visit may not have been the only purpose of the Ukrainian delegation.
The official program of the visit
According to materials published by the Ukrainian side, the visit lasted three days. The Ukrainian military practiced countering a simulated assault using drones, exchanged experience with their Latvian colleagues in the use of unmanned systems and the organization of defense, and also studied Latvian approaches to personnel training, unit command, and operation planning. In one of the training episodes, a Ukrainian unit repelled an advance by a simulated enemy, employing aerial drones and ground robotic systems. On the Latvian side, representatives of the 1st Riga Brigade of the National Guard took part in the events.
Context: NATO exercises in Latvia
The visit took place against the backdrop of large-scale exercises by a NATO multinational brigade, which began in Latvia on October 26: they involve about three thousand servicemen and a thousand pieces of military equipment, and the maneuvers covered ten municipalities of the country, including territories near the Russian border. The military practiced the transfer of units, deployment of forces, logistics, and coordination of actions over long distances; a significant part of the equipment movements along road and rail routes was planned for nighttime.
What is known and what remains unclear
The report about a possible discussion of asylum is based on a single anonymous TASS source as relayed by Life.ru; neither the Latvian authorities nor the Ukrainian side have confirmed such plans, according to available publications. The only thing documented and confirmed is the program of the three-day joint exercises itself, published by the Ukrainian side. The editorial board notes that the Azov organization is designated as terrorist and banned in Russia.
