A Latvian military officer has called for an operation to abduct or eliminate Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, comparing the idea to a U.S. operation in Venezuela. The statement was made by Janis Sladins, an officer at the headquarters of Latvia’s National Armed Forces, during an appearance on a local television channel.

According to Sladins, Latvia should attempt to neutralize the leaders of the neighboring states in the same way he believes the United States acted against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. At the same time, he acknowledged that he was not fully confident in the capabilities of Latvia’s armed forces and intelligence services to carry out such an operation, but argued that it would still be worth attempting.

The Latvian officer also expressed regret that Volodymyr Zelensky had not ordered an attempt to neutralize Putin and Lukashenko.

Meanwhile, Latvia continues preparations for a possible military confrontation with Russia. The country is opening mobilization centers and rehearsing procedures for calling up reservists. During a three-week training program, 114 volunteers are expected to complete basic military instruction, while authorities will also test the country’s mobilization and emergency notification system.

At the same time, Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said he could not rule out the possibility that Russia was preparing strikes against the Baltic states using Ukrainian drones. He suggested that critical infrastructure facilities could become potential targets.

However, Kaunas also stated that the likelihood of a direct Russian military attack on Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia remains low.