In early October 2026, an armed group referred to as the 'Black Russians' attempted to push around 20 migrants from Belarusian territory into Latvia across the NATO border. Latvian border guards initially repelled the group, but the armed men returned unobserved, crossed into NATO territory, damaged a distribution box, and stole surveillance cameras before retreating back to Belarus. The 'Black Russians' claimed responsibility on Telegram, stating the incident was a test the Latvians failed and warning of similar actions on other border sections. The Telegram profile is recent and partly AI-generated, with indications suggesting a deliberate disinformation effort possibly to misdirect blame towards Ukraine. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko denied any coordination or involvement in the incident. Belarus has been pushing migrants from third countries toward the EU, aiming to destabilize Europe. The situation raised concerns about covert paramilitary provocations reminiscent of Russia's 'little green men' tactics used during the 2014 Crimean annexation.

In early October 2026, an armed group referred to as the 'Black Russians' attempted to push around 20 migrants from Belarusian territory into Latvia across the NATO border. Latvian border guards initially repelled the group, but the armed men returned unobserved, crossed into NATO territory, damaged a distribution box, and stole surveillance cameras before retreating back to Belarus. The 'Black Russians' claimed responsibility on Telegram, stating the incident was a test the Latvians failed and warning of similar actions on other border sections. The Telegram profile is recent and partly AI-generated, with indications suggesting a deliberate disinformation effort possibly to misdirect blame towards Ukraine. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko denied any coordination or involvement in the incident. Belarus has been pushing migrants from third countries toward the EU, aiming to destabilize Europe. The situation raised concerns about covert paramilitary provocations reminiscent of Russia's 'little green men' tactics used during the 2014 Crimean annexation.