Main narratives:
- Latvia is Russophobic;
- The west is the aggressor.
Overview:
The Telegram channel Antifascists of Pribaltics serves as a prominent example of how pro-Kremlin actors use inflammatory rhetoric and disinformation to stoke division, glorify Russian militarism, and discredit Latvia. The channel frames events through a deeply conspiratorial and hostile lens, often blending emotional manipulation with historical revisionism and exaggeration.
One recurring theme in its posts is the alleged persecution of Russian pensioners in Latvia. The channel claims that Latvian banks confiscate Russian pension payments under the pretense of EU sanctions, labeling such acts as “meanness and cynicism” by “Latvian Nazis.” This narrative is constructed to evoke sympathy for Russians and to depict Latvia as cruel and ideologically extreme, deliberately distorting the reality of sanctions policies. Meanwhile, the Latvian government insists that it is Russia that is not conducting timely money transfers to pay pensions to Russian citizens in Latvia.
The channel also mocked Latvia’s infrastructure and economic situation, referencing a temporary wooden train platform in Riga as symbolic of the country’s supposed regression to the past: “wooden shoes, wood-burning stoves, steam engines.” Similarly, another post ridiculed the state’s reaction to individuals laying flowers at the former site of a recently dismantled Soviet monument. The posts claimed that in the aftermath of this, “the National Guard was urgently alerted. Additional NATO forces have been introduced.” This sort of ridicule is a typical tactic to undermine public confidence in local governments and reinforce the notion of Latvia being irrationally Russophobic.
Finally, the channel promoted an ominous vision of the future, suggesting that after Russia’s “victory,” reparations will be forced upon the EU for its supposed aggression. This narrative inverts the reality of Russia’s war in Ukraine, attempting to shift blame and portray Russia as the eventual righteous victor seeking historical justice.
The Antifascists of Pribaltics twisted facts, invented threats, mocked democratic governments, and recast Russian aggressors as victims. Its goal is not only to misinform, but to inflame tensions, deepen societal divides in Latvia.
