Main narratives:
- Latvia is Russophobic;
- Persecution of Russian speakers.
Overview:
Over the last week, Telegram channel Baltnews used several key narratives: victimization of Russian speakers and undermining Latvian sovereignty. The channel uses emotional manipulation and omits the broader security context of Russia’s ongoing aggression and hybrid warfare activities to delegitimize Baltic state sovereignty and security policies
A central theme involves portraying ethnic Russians in Latvia as victims of systematic persecution. The channel highlights the case of 98-year-old veteran Vasily Moskalyenov, whose residence permit was allegedly canceled for “refusing to recognize Crimea as Ukrainian.” This narrative serves multiple purposes: it frames Latvia’s security measures as ethnic persecution, presents Russia as a protective homeland for displaced Russians, and indirectly legitimizes Russia’s annexation of Crimea by suggesting that questioning Ukrainian sovereignty over the peninsula is a reasonable position.
The channel amplified this victimization narrative by reporting that Latvian authorities plan to deport over 800 Russian citizens, emphasizing that “most citizens of the Russian Federation in Latvia are elderly people.” This framing deliberately evokes sympathy while casting Latvian immigration enforcement as cruel and discriminatory without giving the actual cause why Latvia is taking these steps.
Baltnews consistently portrays Baltic governments as illegitimate actors driven by “Russophobia” rather than legitimate security concerns. The channel describes how Latvian authorities prevented Russian medical specialists from entering the country for a professional seminar, characterizing this as “hysteria” and suggesting that Latvian officials need psychiatric evaluation. This narrative strategy serves to delegitimize Baltic state decision-making processes and security assessments, implying that concerns about Russian influence operations are irrational rather than based on documented patterns of hybrid warfare and disinformation campaigns.
The posts notably omit crucial context that would explain Latvian policy decisions. There is no mention of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, documented Russian intelligence activities in the Baltics, or the broader security environment that informs Latvian immigration and security policies. Instead, individual cases are presented in isolation to maximize emotional impact while minimizing understanding of the broader geopolitical context.
Baltnews employs sophisticated propaganda techniques that combine emotional manipulation, selective reporting, and strategic omissions to advance pro-Kremlin narratives. By focusing on individual hardship cases while ignoring broader security contexts, the channel seeks to undermine support for Latvian sovereignty and security policies while positioning Russia as a benevolent protector of ethnic Russians abroad.
