Publication

Disinformation networks of pro-Kremlin proxies in Estonia in the Russian speaking community

02.01.2022

How do pro-Kremlin media and disinformation networks influence the opinion of Russian minority in Estonia? What tools are they using to influence public opinion and promote narratives undermining the trust in institutions, including the anti-vaccination agenda?

Dmitri Teperik, the Chief Executive, International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS) writes, “the anti-vaccination campaigns of 2021 provide compelling evidence of coordination aimed at achieving greater reach and stronger engagement of target audiences across various platforms and channels in Estonia. The emotional resonance of the topic of vaccination renders the issue all too easy to exploit through psychological manipulation and the mobilization of Russian-speaking people in Estonia who harbour some scepticism and whose media consumption is shaped in one way or another by pro-Kremlin sources.”

To learn more and explore the recommendations, read the full paper below. The case study is a part of a larger series, Narratives travelling the information space, supported by the National Endowment for Democracy.