Inside the digital cold war: How Canada helps defend Latvia from Russian cyberattacks [Video]

Life in the Baltic states is being lived on pins and needles these days.

Whether it’s an agreed upon — or imposed — peace settlement in Ukraine, there is growing concern in the political, military and intelligence communities that Russia will soon be free to focus all of its attention on the border with Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

Along with NATO allies, there are currently over 1,700 Canadian troops and aircrew dug in as part of a Western commitment to defend Latvia. More are planned and others are on standby should there be a crisis.

Last week, Canadian, Danish, Spanish, Polish, Italian, Swedish and Latvian troops conducted a major exercise at the Adazi training range, on the outskirts of the Latvian capital of Riga. The scenario they were rehearsing for was stark.

They practised defending the capital, 30 days into a hypothetical war with a fictitious, belligerent neighbour to the …