Main disinformation narratives:
- Anti-Ukraine
- Anti-government
- Stopping support for Ukraine
Overview:
During this time, Lithuanian digital media was mainly dominated by: Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and its spillover effects (the outlets highlighted a Russian drone exploding in NATO territory, calculations of Russian losses so far in the war, and Ukraine’s movement in the battlefield around Donetsk city; attempts of migrants to illegally cross the border with Belarus, after Lithuania decided to close two more border crossings with the country; a new rise in COVID-19 cases. Kremlin-aligned media in Lithuania continued to actively promote the anti-government narrative, with the majority of most popular stories from this type of media outlet carrying this sentiment. Articles mainly targeted the whole government and judicial system, accusing them of dishonesty, bribery, and general incompetence. Kremlin-aligned media also emphasised the damage that the war in Ukraine causes to Lithuania and tried to promote the necessity of a truce, under any conditions.