Know Your Enemy

Ever wonder where these guys went after Latvia became independant? I see them everywhere, you just have to know how to look. See those guys teaching MMA on Jurmala beach? Notice the expressionless stocky fellow who just busted into the queue at the local checkout? All these Soviet ex-military are still around. They're hard to miss.

I'm actually surprised Latvia has such a short list of "banned people" or persona non grata as they say in the educated ranks. Could be a lot larger I figure.

Former Riga OMON Major Vladimir Antyufeev appointed new deputy PM of the unrecognized Donetsk People's Republic

RIGA, July 11 (LETA) - A former major of the Soviet OMON police unit in Riga Vladimir Antyufeev, who Latvia has included on the international wanted list, has been appointed the new deputy prime minister of the unrecognized Donetsk People's Republic.

Antyufeev also served as former chief of security in the unrecognized territory of Transnistria in Moldova, and is also wanted by authorities in Moldova.

In a press conference in Donetsk, Antyufeev stated that ''he has fought against fascism'' all his life.

Describing his active participation in attempting to suppress Latvia's independence efforts in the early 1990's, Antyufeev described his actions as ''an active fight against the resurrection of neo-fascism in Latvia''.

On January 20, 1991, OMON troops, loyal to the Soviet regime, attacked Latvia's Interior Ministry, killing six people during the January 1991 events in a failed pro-Moscow coup attempt following the Latvian SSR's declaration of independence.

Seven OMON officers, including Antyufeev, were subsequently found guilty by the Riga District Court and were given sentences in absentia.

Antyufeev subsequently fled Latvia to Russia after the country regained independence and has since been wanted by Latvian authorities for his crimes.

As a major of the Riga OMON forces, Antyufeev and his troops carried out various attacks against pro-independence supporters during the January 1991 events in Latvia.