Latvia begins installing 'dragon's teeth' barriers along Russian border

Latvia's National Armed Forces have started placing anti-movement obstacles known as 'dragon's teeth' on expropriated land along the Latvian-Russian border. The move is part of ongoing Baltic defence efforts to strengthen land borders against potential incursions.

Latvia's National Armed Forces (NBS) have this month begun installing the first anti-movement barriers — commonly referred to as 'dragon's teeth' — along the Latvian-Russian border. The obstacles are being placed on land that was compulsorily acquired specifically for this purpose.

Dragon's teeth are pyramid-shaped concrete anti-tank obstacles that have been used in military fortifications since the Second World War. Their placement along the Latvian-Russian border signals a concrete step in Latvia's broader effort to physically fortify its eastern frontier, following years of increased tension in the region since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Latvia joins Estonia and Lithuania in accelerating land border defence construction projects. All three Baltic states have announced or begun building physical barriers, mine lines, and other defensive infrastructure along their borders with Russia and Belarus. The installations are intended to slow any potential ground movement and complicate military logistics in a conflict scenario.

The compulsory acquisition of land along the border zone was a necessary legal precondition before construction could begin, and authorities have been working through that process over recent months. With the groundwork now laid, the NBS appears to be moving swiftly to make the fortifications a reality on the ground.