Report
Latvia Weekly: Disinformation Fuels Opposition to the Istanbul Convention
Ainars Šlesers of party Latvia First propagates false narratives claiming the Istanbul Convention promotes a “117 gender policy” and threatens traditional families, when the treaty actually focuses solely on preventing violence against women and domestic violence. He employs aggressive rhetoric against political opponents, repeatedly comparing Progressive party members to “Lenin,” sharing digitally altered images of them, and using terms like “gangsters” and accusations of “aggression” and “brainwashing” to delegitimize those who support the Convention.
Weekly Reports
Estonia Weekly: Layoffs at Südalinna Theatre Amplified in Russian Media
Pro-Kremlin outlets played down Poland’s claims of Russian drone incursions. Meanwhile, a heated debate erupted over mass dismissals at Tallinn’s Südalinna Theatre. Critics have framed this as political pressure and alleged “Russophobic” policies.
Read more
Latvia Weekly: Pro-Kremlin Channels Exploits School Language Transition
Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels are targeting Latvia with inflammatory messaging that takes discussions about education in Latvian language and reframes them using extreme rhetoric and derogatory labels. The posts demonstrate how hostile narratives are constructed by taking real events and embedding them within provocative interpretive frameworks designed to foster negative perceptions of Latvian institutions among Russian-speaking audiences.
Read more
Estonia Weekly: Kremlin Propaganda Exploits Audit of Estonia’s Defence Ministry
Estonia’s Defence Ministry was criticized by the National Audit Office for major financial mismanagement, a finding amplified by pro-Kremlin commentators. Separately, a known Russian-speaking activist Andrei Vesterinen was declared wanted on fraud charges, which Kremlin-linked voices called politically motivated.
Read more
Lithuania Weekly: “Day of Shame” Protest Exploited to Push Conspiracies About Elite Control
Over the past week, Kremlin-aligned media in Lithuania amplified the “Day of Shame” protest in Vilnius, portraying it as evidence of national unrest and societal collapse. Both the organisers and participants were targeted: accused of inciting chaos, mocked as “dim-witted” or “unemployed,” and discredited as representatives of genuine civic discontent. Central to these narratives was the revival of conspiracy theories about Lithuania being secretly controlled by the so-called “Landsbergiai clan,” a trope used to delegitimise public activism and suggest citizens are manipulated by hidden elites.
Read more
Latvia Weekly: Propaganda Portrays NATO Spending as Economic Suicide
Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels are framing NATO’s increased defense spending plans as economically self-destructive “hysteria” that will drive member nations into debt while cutting social programs, while simultaneously issuing direct military threats against Baltic states and dismissing their defenses as futile. The messaging exploits legitimate democratic debates about military spending and troop deployments to portray NATO as both an aggressive threat to Russia and an unreliable protector unable to defend its own members.
Read more
Estonia Weekly: Kremlin Propaganda Exploits Drone Crash to Undermine NATO
When a drone crashed in Estonia, Kremlin-aligned commentators seized the opportunity to question NATO’s defences and portray Estonia and Ukraine negatively. Meanwhile, Russian-language social media platforms have amplified domestic debates over tax policy and a statistical error, presenting them as further evidence of the incompetence of the Estonian government.
Read more
Latvia Weekly: Trump–Putin Meeting Used to Sow Doubt About Western Security Guarantees
In the aftermath of the Trump-Putin Alaska summit Pro-Kremlin Telegram framed European leaders as obstacles to peace while suggesting both Trump and Putin desire to end the Ukraine conflict. Monitored channels also used the occasion to label Baltic states as “puppets” and to mock NATO’s military capabilities following a drone incident.
Read more
Estonia Weekly: Kremlin Voices Exploit Refugee Relocation Debate
Pro-Kremlin commentators amplified two controversies in Estonia: claims that children were encouraged to shoot at caricatures resembling Russian soldiers during Independence Day celebrations, and criticism of the government’s stance on the EU refugee relocation scheme.
Read more
Lithuania Weekly: Pro-Kremlin Media Exploits Debate Over Inga Ruginienė’s Nomination
Kremlin-aligned outlets in Lithuania seized on public hesitation around proposed Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė, mocking criticism and turning political debate into partisan blame. Pro-Kremlin narratives framed the controversy as a Conservative-only problem, urging them to “look inward,” while dismissing broader concerns – a tactic aimed at discrediting opposition and amplifying political division.
Read moreShowing 10 to 18 of 304 results
Don’t miss a story.
We publish stories that change laws, lives, minds and the world. Subscribe to our newsletter to get our investigations delivered to your inbox.