Latvia to mark 1000th day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine with moment of silence

President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs, Speaker of the Saeima Daiga Mieriņa, Prime Minister Evika Siliņa, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Baiba Braže are calling on Latvians, in solidarity with Ukraine, to honour the fallen with a moment of silence and to light candles on 19 November.

As reported by Delfi, a moment of silence will be observed on 19 November at 9:00 to mark the 1000th day of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"Ukraine continues to fight relentlessly every day. For more than two years, with inspiring courage and determination, the Ukrainian people have resisted Russian aggression. Latvia’s support for Ukraine remains firm and unwavering. Latvia and its people stand side by side with Ukraine in its struggle against the aggressor – Russia," stated the country’s top officials.

"In solidarity with Ukraine and its people, the President of Latvia, the Speaker of the Saeima, the Prime Minister, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs are calling on all of Latvia to observe a moment of silence on 19 November at 9:00. We urge municipalities and organisations to organise moments of silence in various locations across Latvia, and to light 1,000 candles to honour the victims," the statement added.

The country’s leaders also called for honouring Latvian volunteer Corporal Vitālijs Smirnovs, who was killed in action in Ukraine’s east on 1 October 2023.

The European Parliament will hold a special session on Tuesday, 19 November, to mark the 1000th day since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.