The article examines how Russia is using social media and disinformation tactics to sow division in the Baltic states—Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia—particularly within their Russian-speaking communities. Following the bans on Russian state media in 2022, Kremlin-aligned accounts have proliferated on platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Telegram, promoting narratives that portray the Baltic governments as oppressive and the Soviet era as better.
These disinformation campaigns leverage nostalgia, memes, and targeted content to paint the EU and NATO as aggressors and to foster feelings of victimization among Russian speakers. The disinformation includes claims of systemic discrimination against Russian speakers and suggests that the Baltic states are dependent on Western powers, effectively undermining trust in these institutions.
The campaigns are orchestrated by Russian state entities and funded through official channels, often utilizing local influencers and seemingly innocent community pages to spread propaganda. By normalizing the idea of Russian intervention under the guise of protecting ethnic Russians, Moscow aims to create a rationale for potential military actions similar to previous operations in Ukraine.
Overall, the article highlights the sophisticated, networked approach of Russian disinformation efforts that adapt quickly to events while eroding public trust in Western alliances—a strategy with implications that could escalate beyond information warfare into military aggression.
