In July 1941, as German forces entered Riga, the capital of Latvia, a local collaborationist unit emerged under Viktors Arājs. Formed with SS support, the Arājs Kommando quickly became one of the most notorious killing units in Nazi-occupied Latvia.

Its members took part in the burning of synagogues, mass shootings across Latvian towns, and the systematic murder of Jews, Roma, and suspected political opponents. At sites such as the Rumbula forest and the beaches of Liepāja, thousands were executed in coordinated massacres that formed part of the wider Holocaust in Eastern Europe.

Operating first in Latvia and later in Belarus, the unit helped carry out campaigns of mass violence that left tens of thousands dead. Though small in number, its impact was devastating.

After the war, some perpetrators were captured and tried, while others managed to escape justice for decades.