Latvia has begun installing concrete anti-tank barriers called “dragon’s teeth” along its border with Russia, while NATO prepares to assign a new army corps to defend Estonia and Latvia in the event of a conflict with Moscow.
Latvian public broadcaster LSM reported on Thursday that Latvia’s National Armed Forces are placing heavy concrete pyramids in several rows along sections of the Russian border, as a part of the Baltic Defence Line being developed jointly by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
“This is necessary primarily to improve the security of the border checkpoint. About five years ago, we had an incident when a car from Russia broke through the existing barriers. Installation of barriers will help prevent unauthorized travel. Also, the installation of the gate will help better control the situation on the bridge, for example, in the event of a flow of migrants,” Head of the Narva Border Center Antti Eensalu said.
“Dragon’s teeth” are concrete barriers that weigh around 1.5 tons, and are about 10 meters wide, sectioned in three rows. The line will eventually include anti-tank ditches running roughly 450 kilometers.
In late August 2025, Lithuania placed similar obstacles at unused Šumskas, Lavoriškes, Latežeris, and Raigardas checkpoints on the Belarus border, and at Romaniškes on the Russian (Kaliningrad) border.
Meanwhile, Estonia installed “dragon’s teeth”, metal gates and sliding barriers at the Narva crossing and bridge to Russia’s Ivangorod, with NATO preparing rapid-deployment plans to defend the Baltic states amid growing concerns of Belarus joining the Russian war against Ukraine.
As per a Reuters report, a combined German-Dutch army corps will take command of NATO land forces in Estonia and Latvia later this year to strengthen the alliance’s eastern flank against a potential Russian attack, the countries said on May 28.
H2:: NATO’s eastern flank and Baltic defense line
According to the same report, NATO is planning to give Estonia and Latvia their own dedicated higher-level headquarters by assigning the German-Netherlands Corps, headquartered in Münster, Germany, to defend the two Baltic states.
Currently, NATO’s existing Multinational Corps Northeast in Szczecin, Poland, has overall responsibility for the region, but under the new plan, a second corps will be specifically assigned to the defense of Estonia and Latvia.
This is a part of a redesign of NATO’s eastern-flank command structure aimed at making it easier to move forces into the two Baltic states quickly if any war broke out.
H2:: Latvia’s fortification amid Russian threats
As per a separate report, The Moscow Times said Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service accused Latvia of preparing bases for Ukrainian drones and threatened a retaliatory strike, claiming that the coordinates of “decision-centers” in Latvia are known and saying NATO membership would not save the country.
Concerns are on the rise, as Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a new law on Monday, allowing Russia to deploy its armed forces abroad to protect Russian citizens arrested or prosecuted by foreign courts whose jurisdiction Moscow does not recognize.