Report
Latvia Weekly: Local Actors Amplify Stories of Oppression and Resistance
Local populist or Kremlin-aligned political actors painted a picture themselves as persecuted victims of an oppressive establishment while positioning their controversial stances as vindicated common sense. This narrative delegitimizes the state and portrays their radical populism as righteous resistance against systemic persecution.
Weekly Reports
Latvia Weekly: Pro-Kremlin Channels Mock Air Defenses
Following the crash of 19 Russian drones in Poland, pro-Kremlin Telegram channels criticised Latvia’s defense preparations, using satirical imagery to mock the country’s military capabilities while simultaneously portraying defensive measures as endangering civilians. The messaging employed contradictory narratives that frame Latvia as both militarily inadequate and dangerously aggressive, exploiting regional security concerns to undermine confidence in government policies.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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