Latvia has recorded a significant increase in illegal border crossings from Belarus this week, authorities in the Baltic state said on Thursday. Guntis Pujāts, head of the Latvian Border Guard, said on television that 160 attempts to enter the country from Belarus have been recorded since Monday, bringing the total number of migrants prevented from illegally crossing the border this year to 2,770. Latvia – a member of the European Union and NATO – shares a border of approximately 172 kilometres with Belarus, Russia’s closest ally. Along with neighbouring Poland and Lithuania, Riga has accused …