“Return Russians and Belarusians” — There is a critical shortage of engineers in Latvia — EADaily, February 24th, 2026 — Politics, Russia

Ten organizations in Latvia have appealed to the State Security Service to allow citizens of Russia and Belarus to continue working with critical infrastructure systems, citing a potential skills shortage. The appeal comes as authorities review access permits and conduct risk assessments.

Latvia Faces Potential Infrastructure Staffing Crisis

The organizations, comprised of nine institutions and one private company, warn that Latvia risks being left without qualified engineers if access is blocked. Industry representatives state that Russian-speaking engineers have held key positions in sectors like energy, telecommunications, industrial automation, and infrastructure management for decades.

Restrictions have already resulted in hundreds of employees losing access to critical management systems. Companies involved assert that replacing these specialists quickly is not feasible.

Applications are currently undergoing in-depth risk testing, and permits have not yet been issued.