Latvians told to turn their basements into air-raid shelters amid fears that Putin will set his sights on the Baltics once he's conquered Ukraine - as fears of all-out war with Russia grow

Latvian officials have warned the nation's citizens to convert their basements into air raid shelters, amid fears that Vladimir Putin will set his sights on the Baltic states if we wins his battle against Ukraine. 

Vilnis Kirsis, the mayor of Riga, Lativa's capital, warned his fellow countrymen to be ready to shelter in their cellars. 

'We call on everyone during the big clean-up, but also afterwards, to ensure that your cellars and your basements can be used as shelters in case of emergencies,' he said.

Latvia, along with neighbours Estonia and Lithuania, are feared to be on the top of Putin's priority list if his invasion of Ukraine succeeds. 

The nations are working to fortify their defences, with Riga's civil defence commission beginning preparations of shelters in public buildings across the city. 

Gints Reinsons, head of the commission, said the city would prepare 100 shelters each month until the end of the year.

Vilnis Kirsis (pictured), the mayor of Riga, Lativa's capital, warned his fellow countrymen to be ready to shelter in their cellars

Latvia, along with neighbours Estonia and Lithuania, are feared to be on the top of Putin's priority list if his invasion of Ukraine succeeds

The nations are working to fortify their defences, with Riga's civil defence commission beginning preparations of shelters in public buildings across the city

'The basements of public buildings, schools, retirement homes, hospitals and town halls will be inspected by the authorities who will prepare them to serve as hiding places in the event of an attack,' he told local media.

The three Baltic states, which are all part of the NATO defence bloc, all agreed to set up their own defence line on their borders with Russia and Belarus, which has allied itself with Russia, as Putin's forces show more and more aggression in the region. 

Each of them agreed to develop 'anti-mobility defense installations' on their eastern borders, with the new measures being called the Baltic Defense Line. 

'Russia's war in Ukraine has shown that in addition to equipment, ammunition and manpower, we also need physical defensive structures at the border from the first meter to protect Estonia,' Hanno Pevkur, Estonia's defence minister, said at the time.

Latvia agreed to invest 303million euros over the next five years to strengthen its borders. 

It will dig up dozens of existing roads near the border, and will creat anti-tank ditches along them, and will place minefields and 'dragon's teeth' blocks to prevent tanks from making progress. 

Last month, Lithuania pledged to spent at least 3% of its GDP on defence from 2025 onwards, with the motion being supporting by two thirds of the nation's parliament. 

It spent 2.8% of GDP on defence in 2023 and is projected to spend the same this year. 

Lithuania will partly use the additional money to prepare to permanently host 5,000 German troops from 2027, in a sign of increased military cooperation between allies on the continent.