Latvia still lacks answers on practical civil defence readiness

Latvia has civil defence plans, counted shelters, a functioning cell broadcast system and a crisis management centre, but practical questions remain about how the system would work in a major emergency, LSM reports in an article by investigative journalist Ella Semjonova.

The unresolved issues include who would coordinate the response, whether there would be enough vehicles and drivers for an evacuation, and what reserves could be used after the first 72 hours. Municipalities have warned people not to assume that regular deliveries would simply continue during a crisis, while the reserve system is still being developed.

Plans need to be tested

Action plans for floods and forest fires have been developed and practised in Latvia for years. However, drone overflights or another hybrid threat could require a different response and expose gaps in coordination.

“Then it is unclear who is responsible, and time can be lost while explanations, discussions and decisions are taking place,” civil defence expert Vitālijs Rakstiņš said.

After Russia’s full-scale invasion, municipal civil defence plans also had to include responses to a military invasion, including warnings, sheltering, the use of reserves and evacuation.

“We have the documents and plans. The question is whether they exist only on paper or have really been tested in exercises, stress tests and real life,” Rakstiņš said.

There have been numerous exercises in recent years. In 2025, the national-level RADEX exercise tested five threat scenarios. Municipalities have also taken part in other exercises, while the State Fire and Rescue Service has trained municipal civil protection commissions.

However, Rakstiņš said broader testing was still needed, involving civil institutions at the same time and showing how the system would operate in an unconventional crisis. He cited earlier Kristaps exercises, after which institutions were required to demonstrate what they had corrected a year later.