Today, on 23 September, Latvian State Security Service (VDD) is conducting the national level counterterrorism exercise "Dinaburg 2025" in Daugavpils, which is taking place for the entire day and is seeing the full deployment of responsible institutions.
It is the first time that VDD is organising such an exercise in the Latgale region, continuing the regional counterterrorism training cycle started in the previous years, whose goal is to determine the readiness of the competent services and their mutual cooperation in different Latvian regions.
The counterterrorism exercise "Dinaburg 2025" is testing the readiness of competent services to implement measures that reduce the effects of terrorist attacks and prevent further threats, as prescribed in the Action Plan in Case of Threats to Land Objects (counterterrorism plan "Object") approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on 7 September 2021.
According to the plan of the exercise, a terrorist attack takes place during a public event where multiple people are injured whilst a portion of participants of the event are taken hostage. During the exercise, the competent authorities are testing their abilities to triage persons discovered on site, detain terrorists, rescue hostages, take part in investigative activities, and participate in the implementation of other operational counterterrorism measures. Participants playing the roles of victims are also involved in the exercises to give emergency services the opportunity to give first aid, conduct rescue operations, and provide psychological assistance in a situation that is as close to reality as possible. Unlike previous exercises, this exercise rehearses the protection and evacuation of dignitaries in the event of a terrorist threat.
VDD has organised counterterrorism exercises with full force deployment since 2007, and this is the 14th training of such scale. Similarly to the last year, this year’s exercise hosts more than 500 participants from various institutions involved in counterterrorism measures: VDD, State Police, State Emergency Medical Service, State Fire and Rescue Service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Prosecutor’s Office, the Latgale Judicial Region Prosecution Office, State Border Guard, National Armed Forces (hereinafter NAF), Daugavpils Municipal Police and Daugavpils City Municipality. This year is the first time when representatives from the NATO Multinational Brigade in Latvia take part in this exercise, with CH-146 "Griffon" helicopters of the Royal Canadian Air Force being used. Representatives of Poland’s State Protection Service (SOP) are in attendance as international observers.
Three Latvian special operations units are taking part in the exercise: State Police Counterterrorism Unit OMEGA, NAF Special Task Unit and State Border Guard Special Operations Service "Sigma". The victims and hostages, meanwhile, are played by cadets of the State Border Guard College.
To ensure the readiness of units within the emergency services of the Latgale region to act in the event of a terrorist attack, VDD organised an informative seminar regarding the basic principles of response on 16 September, whilst on 17 September VDD organised the so-called table-top exercises.
VDD would like to draw the attention of residents and guests of Daugavpils that, in relation to the exercise on 23 September, episodes of increased movement of emergency services’ and other services’ vehicles, and low flyovers of helicopters will occur. VDD asks the public to remain understanding towards the course of the exercise, as its main aim is to ensure public safety. During the exercise, local traffic limitations are implemented in Daugavpils, with the public urged to use bypass routes established during the exercise.
Within the training cycle of the regional counterterrorism exercises, VDD organised full-scale exercises in Valmiera, Vidzeme region ("Wolmar 2024") in 2024, Jelgava, Zemgale region ("Mītava 2023") in 2023, and Liepaja, Kurzeme region ("Liedags 2022") in 2022.
VDD is Latvia’s leading institution in coordinating the activities in the counterterrorism field of state and municipal institutions as well as other institutions involved in the counterterrorism prevention or response measures.
Terrorism threat level in Latvia currently is low and the information at VDD’s disposal does not indicate any changes in the near future.
Information prepared by VDD
Illustrative photo, VDD
