In August 2025 two Latvian citizens, born in 1999 and 2006, according to the State Security Service (VDD) doused with fuel from plastic bottles and set fire to railway relay cabinets, a railway lighting distribution cabinet and a diesel locomotive of the private company Baltijas tranzīta serviss; according to the head of VDD two cabinets burned in the Ogre area, two in Jēkabpils municipality and the locomotive in Riga, five episodes in all. The event spans several sites tens of kilometres apart, so there is no single point on the map. Police opened proceedings at the end of August 2025, both perpetrators were detained in early September and VDD took over the case in October. On 2 March 2026 VDD asked the prosecution to bring charges under the article on assistance to Russia in action directed against Ukraine (Section 77.4 of the Criminal Law) and for intentional destruction of property by arson; according to VDD the perpetrators filmed the fires and sent the footage to their taskers, who used it in psychological operations as supposed events in Ukraine. Charges were brought in March 2026; the victims claimed losses of over 370,000 euros (the locomotive) and about 14,000 euros (Latvijas dzelzceļš). The exact days are not given, so the record carries month precision; there is no verdict.
Responsibility and limits of the evidence
suspected
Someone has named a perpetrator, but this is neither a court finding nor a formal attribution by a state.
Named party: Russian special services (per the Latvian State Security Service)
C - official suspicion
Valsts drošības dienests (VDD) / 2026-03-12 / carrying out the act
VDD stated that the investigation obtained evidence linking the acts to Russia and that footage of the fires went to the taskers, who used it in psychological operations; the head of VDD told LTV the acts were carried out on the instructions of Russian special services. VDD alleges assistance to Russia in action against Ukraine. That is an official suspicion by an agency and a charge, not a court finding; VDD itself notes that nobody is guilty until a court says so.
Prokuratura Łotwy (prokurator Lita Brumermane) / 2026-03-22 / carrying out the act
The prosecutor brought charges of property damage and of assisting Russia, stating that the accused were aware they were working in Russia's interests. An indictment is an allegation, not a verdict.