Latvia fortifies border with dragon's teeth against Russian threats

Latvia has started installing defensive barriers on its border with Russia. In the short video shared online, one can notice "dragon's teeth." We explain what they are and what they are designed to protect against.

The recording from the Latvian-Russian border was published on his profile on the X platform by Anton Gerashchenko, a former advisor at the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs. The brief description shows that it was recorded near Zilupe, a small town in eastern Latvia.

"Dragon's teeth" refer to distinctively shaped concrete or reinforced concrete pyramids. They have been known and used for years. They were first utilized during World War II, and more recently, they have been used during the war in Ukraine, where both sides of the conflict secured key positions and cities in this way.

The installation of fortifications containing "dragon's teeth" requires the use of heavy equipment. Each single element (typically measuring up to approximately 1.2 metres in height) is very heavy, which, combined with its shape and large accumulation in a given area (in rows), allows for the creation of fortifications intended to stop enemy units. "Dragon's teeth" are a significant obstacle, for example, for tanks. Sometimes, additional protections like mines may accompany them.

Anton Gerashchenko referred in his post to information from a few weeks ago, according to which Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia called on the European Union to build a 700-kilometre-long defensive line along the border with Russia and Belarus. In this way, the entire European Union would be better protected from military threats and provocations from Moscow.