From falsely linking Estonia’s president Alar Karis to Jeffrey Epstein to a disinformation campaign about a Ukrainian soldier killing three NATO servicemen — Kremlin-linked false information campaigns that circulated ahead of and during elections in Latvia and Estonia were aimed at creating mistrust and confusion among the voters, according to a London-based threat intelligence company Refute report published on Tuesday.
“Russia is deploying disinformation as a deliberate instrument designed to disorient citizens, shape public debate and deepen divisions ahead of elections,” said Tom Garnett, Co-founder and CEO of Refute.
Campaigns around Estonia’s September presidential election and Latvia’s October parliamentary vote exploited genuine concerns around Russia’s war in Ukraine, NATO, drones and border security, attaching fabricated claims to real events and debates to undermine confidence in institutions, Ukraine, NATO and the wider security environment.
The false narratives were used not only in Latvia and Estonia but also spread across global audiences, “seeking to undermine perceptions of Baltic security abroad,” according to the report.
The campaigns also showed how false narratives were repeatedly rebuilt...
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