Latvia Dismantles "Anti-Fascists of the Baltics" Spy Network

Latvian authorities have detained at least three individuals over the past two weeks in connection with the group calling itself the “Anti-Fascists of the Baltics,” which investigators say operated an informant network supplying Russian intelligence with sensitive information. According to Latvian public broadcaster LSM on january 19, the network had for an extended period passed on data about the movement of military equipment, Ukrainian nationals, and people expressing support for Ukraine. The arrests are based on documents obtained by the Dossier Center, an organization linked to Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The materials suggest the group was engaged in far more than pro-Russian activism. Investigators say members of the group attempted to gain access to Latvian drone manufacturing facilities, gathered intelligence on military logistics, and tracked individuals who donated to Ukraine or displayed Ukrainian symbols. Latvia’s State Security Service said the group coordinated its activities through specially created Telegram channels and had increasingly focused on actions posing a threat to national security. A criminal case against the organization was opened in November 2022, according to LSM. Two suspected members, Tetiana Andriiets and Oleksandr Zhgun, are currently standing trial in Latvia. Several others, including the alleged leader Serhii Vasyliev, along with Viktoriia Matule, Roman Samul, and Stanislavs Bukains, have fled to Russia or Belarus. Prosecutor Zane Lodzinia said the group’s core objective was to recruit people disloyal to Latvia in order to provoke unrest at a suitable moment, undermine democratic institutions, and target officials or residents opposed to Russia. Media reports indicate that Vasyliev shared information from the group’s channels with Sergei Kolesnikov, a figure described as having ties to Russian intelligence. While formally presented as a former FSB officer running a private detective agency, the documents suggest he continues to cooperate with Russian security services. Latvian security services also detained Vasyliev’s wife, Iveta Balode, who is accused of reporting on military movements and frequently traveling between Latvia and Russia. Correspondence reviewed by investigators shows the group also sought to infiltrate drone production companies by applying for jobs or posing as suppliers and foreign partners, while collecting personal data on company employees through social media, as reported by LSM. Prosecutors say they are confident the group’s activities were coordinated with Russian intelligence structures. Under Latvian law, leading or participating in such an organization carries a potential sentence ranging from 10 to 20 years in prison, or life imprisonment. Earlier, Lithuania’s Prosecutor General’s Office sent to court a criminal case against six foreign citizens suspected of preparing a terrorist attack in September 2024 aimed at disrupting military assistance to Ukraine. Investigators say the suspects planned to strike UAB TVC Solutions, a private defense supplier based in Šiauliai that is involved in providing support to Ukraine.