The active and public phase of the military training Namejs has ended, the training continues throughout the month in military bases, units and headquarters, but the Ministry of Defense already has enough food for thought regarding cooperation with the civilians. Most civilians support their army and will work with it in a crisis situation. But some won't, and some may even act against it.
Conceptually, public opinion polls commissioned by the Ministry of Defense show this from year to year. In territories with a higher proportion of non-Latvians and non-citizens - in Riga, Daugavpils, Rēzekne - the readiness to defend one's country or at least not to disturb those who are doing it is lower. And that is why military training in real conditions - in an urban environment - is important not only from a military point of view. They show how successful cooperation with the local population might be in a crisis or war situation. Yes, it is important for the army to test how the protection plans written on paper work or do not work in real conditions - in the streets, neighborhoods, villages and cities. What methods, weapons, and forces to use to protect the population and strategically important objects, how to find and neutralize the enemy, how to shoot the bad guys. However, in the hybrid war phase, which was played out in Namejs last week, open warfare has not yet begun, the evacuation of the population has not been carried out. And in real life, the same thing would probably happen that took place in training - something is exploding, there are shots fired from somewhere, armored vehicles are driving, soldiers are running, and civilians are standing nearby.
An amateur video has received widespread publicity in the Russian propaganda media and in the social networks of the domestic Russian audience, showing an instructive moment. A staged battle is taking place around the Ministry of Defense. The enemy has entered one of the buildings and our people are moving in to attack. All this is watched by the people, filmed and photographed. After all, such scenes have not been seen on the streets of Riga. If only in the movies. The shots were already sounding, but a mother with a child went right into the epicenter of the battle. She passed one machine gun, passed a rifleman. And from then on, the video begins. She passed another machine gun. The machine gun starts shooting because there is an enemy in the window. The mother gets frightened, calls the machine gunner an idiot, the child starts crying. That's the video. The situation is really awkward. Residents were informed about the Namejs military training widely and in a timely manner. That there will be explosions, shots, that the ammunition used is not harmful to health. However, anyone can get frightened from an unexpected bang, and therefore people should not approach the place where military exercises take place during training. But it is not forbidden.
The Ministry of Defense has issued a public apology about the episode with the frightened mother and child. "Firearms were used in this exercise, and this situation was an unfortunate coincidence, for which we apologize." The mother herself decided to use specifically Skolas street, where soldiers, weapons and shots can be seen and heard. In addition, there is a very important nuance - she was warned to go around. There was a civil-military cooperation specialist at each training site, and there was also a Ministry of Defense. He addressed the mother and child, urging them not to walk on Skolas street. However, the woman refused - it is a shorter route, she will go where she wants. And so she went. Other soldiers nearby were warned that civilians were heading in their direction, to watch out. But this one soldier around the corner did not hear or notice. He was observing the situation in the building and shot when it was necessary to shoot, scaring the determined mother and her offspring.
Of course, Kremlin propagandists have covered this one episode with terrible headlines. Well, for example, the following: "Passers-by are terrified, children are crying: the army has organized shooting in the streets of Riga." This is a lesson for the defense department. Including a lesson on how to react in similar situations, when the real enemy tries to use every real or imaginary mistake in the information war and to influence public opinion. Secretary of State Jānis Garisons predicts that similar situations may recur when organizing military exercises in the urban environment. However, the alternative of demarcating training sites, of closing down civilian movement would not be a better solution. First of all, from the point of view of training, such a simulated, unrealistic environment would prevent the army from achieving the set goal - to test how everything would happen in conditions as close to reality as possible. Secondly, it would be much more inconvenient for the population, even for that stubborn mother. Because, for example, Valdemāra and Elizabetes streets would be closed around the Ministry of Defense for both pedestrians and civil transport. From early morning to late afternoon. Thirdly, the population would be deprived of the opportunity to see their army in action and also to learn for themselves - to get used to explosions, to the noise of shots. Understand that it is really dangerous. When you see military action, do not approach, do not "take a quick look"!
Training in populated areas will continue, and over time it is planned to involve the residents themselves so that the public can learn how to react in such situations. Also for when the hour of crisis comes and real bullets start to fly instead of harmless blanks. This is also emphasized to Neatkarīgā by the Commander of the National Armed Forces Leonīds Kalniņš:
"We must protect Riga, and we will not abandon it!"
The army has been training in the forest for a long time, but in recent years the battle in populated areas has been a priority due to the real threats. The army must protect people, not trees. But regarding the negations and critical comments fueled by the pro-Kremlin media, the Commander says not to worry too much. There are incomparably more positive reviews about Namejs taking place in cities. The public was informed about the upcoming training through all possible channels, but if someone does not want to hear this information, there is little to be done.
Why is the army interested in what the civilian population thinks? The answer is very simple. If our own people do not like their army or do not believe in its ability, then the chances of winning the battle are much lower, because the soldiers can no longer count on the necessary support from the civilian population. For example, the civilian will not give his hangar to the army, in which soldiers could prepare for operations. Or worse, as happened at the beginning of the war in Ukraine, when there were those among the locals who supplied poisoned food and water to Ukrainian defenders.
In the active phase of Namejs, Neatkarīgā also had the opportunity to observe the reaction of the population. Many passing cars honked, people waved, showed thumbs up, filmed, children watched curiously. But at times there were specimens that cursed them. With even worse words than that mom used. And mentioned Putin, who would really show everyone something worth watching.
It must be taken into account that in the hour of crisis these civilians will not be assistants to the army, but an additional threat to the entire state of Latvia.
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