Report
Latvia Weekly: Ethnic Persecution Claims and Conspiratorial Rhetoric
The Antifascists of Pribaltics and Roslikovs’ Telegram channels amplified narratives of ethnic persecution, moral decline, and Western control to portray Latvia as hostile to Russian speakers. Together, they deepen societal divisions and exploit legal and political tensions to fuel populist and pro-Kremlin sentiment.
Weekly Reports
Latvia Weekly: Ethnic Persecution Claims and Conspiratorial Rhetoric
The Antifascists of Pribaltics and Roslikovs’ Telegram channels amplified narratives of ethnic persecution, moral decline, and Western control to portray Latvia as hostile to Russian speakers. Together, they deepen societal divisions and exploit legal and political tensions to fuel populist and pro-Kremlin sentiment.
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Estonia Weekly: VAT Hike and Church Bill Fuel Disinformation
Estonia’s VAT hike and some new laws have become lightning rods for pro-Kremlin critics, who frame them as evidence of elitist governance and cultural oppression, especially targeting the Russian-speaking minority.
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Latvia Weekly: Russian Language Debate Fuels Radical Rhetoric
Aleksejs Roslikovs sparked major controversy with his parliamentary declaration “There are more of us! We cannot be banned!” in response to proposed Russian language restrictions, leading to criminal proceedings for allegedly assisting Russia and inciting hatred. Following incidents including a hanging his effigy and offensive football fan posters targeting him, Roslikovs has leveraged these threats to construct a comprehensive victimization narrative on social media, portraying himself as a persecuted defender of Russian speakers against what he characterizes as organized extremist persecution and broader conspiracies by Latvia’s establishment.
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Estonia Weekly: NATO Summit Fuels Kremlin Disinformation
Pro-Kremlin voices on social media depicted NATO as aggressive and divided, criticizing Baltic defence moves and mocking Western leadership. In Estonia, Russian-speaking groups amplified nuclear tensions and spread false claims about EU opposition to Ukraine’s membership to support Kremlin narratives.
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Latvia Weekly: MP’s Arrest Fuels Populist Narrative Online
Aleksejs Roslikovs transformed his detention by Latvia’s State Security Service on charges of assisting Russia and inciting hatred into a powerful social media narrative of political martyrdom, portraying himself as a persecuted victim fighting government oppression. His TikTok videos reframing the criminal investigation as evidence of his heroic resistance demonstrate how populist politicians can exploit legal troubles to strengthen their anti-establishment credentials and generate massive online engagement.
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Estonia Weekly: Kremlin Echoes Persist Over Church Law
Pro-Kremlin voices on Russian-speaking social media portrayed Estonia’s revised Churches and Congregations Act as continued state persecution of the Orthodox Church, reinforcing a narrative of religious oppression and general Russophobia. Simultaneously, they condemned the U.S. strikes in Iran as aggressive and hypocritical, using them to justify Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
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Lithuania Weekly: Pro-Kremlin Media Stirs Backlash Over Military Remarks
Kremlin-aligned media in Lithuania shifted focus to domestic issues, fueling outrage with a headline quoting Defence Minister Šakalienė on women in the military. The quote, taken out of context, sparked intense online backlash. President Nausėda was also targeted over a proposal for presidential benefits, framed as elitist and corrupt.
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Latvia Weekly: Pushing Anti-Latvian Narratives to Russian-Speaking Audiences
The “Antifascists of Pribaltics” Telegram channel portrays Latvia as systematically Russophobic. The channel also promotes conspiracies about Latvia being an EU puppet state as well as anti-Ukraine sentiments.
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Estonia Weekly: Middle East Tensions Fuel Anti-Western Rhetoric
A former journalist has been sentenced to six years in prison in Estonia for treason and for promoting Kremlin propaganda. Meanwhile, social media commentators accused the West of hypocrisy in the wake of Israeli attacks on Iran.
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