Main narratives:
- inadequate government’s reaction to false bomb threats;
- Israel’s defence against Hamas is equated with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine;
- Lithuania is being targeted and is on the verge of the war
Overview:
This week, all types of media in Lithuania were overwhelmed discussing alleged bomb threats in the country. In just a couple of days, the police in Lithuania had received more than 1,500 reports from various institutions of received bomb threats, that were concluded to be “a targeted and coordinated attack carried out at the initiative of hostile states. Kremlin-aligned media used the government’s “inadequate reaction” to false bomb threats to further spread the anti-government sentiments. The other topics with most engagement during this reporting week were: Hamas’ attack on Israel and its spillover effects, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, visibly increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases in Lithuania, and Seimas’ approval of the draft law concerning the real estate tax.