Most of the disinformation was about the war in Ukraine. Support to Ukraine by Western countries, including Lithuania (transfer of military equipment, training of soldiers), was described as warmongering. The Alliance was accused of direct involvement in the war in Ukraine.
Disinformation is being spread that the Baltic countries organised a drone attack at Pskov Airport, which damaged four IL-76 military aircraft. The disinformation was intended to convince audiences that NATO is indirectly involved in the war against Russia and that Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are taking advantage of this.
The attack was even described as a casus belli.
The Kremlin has been claiming, through sources under its control, that NATO's military presence on the Russian-Belarusian borders in the Baltic States and Poland is a threat to the Union. The propaganda mouthpieces described the closure of the border crossings as an unprecedented, hostile action. This information cover was used to justify Russian actions causing tension throughout the region: the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory and the deployment and activities of“ Wagner“ mercenaries in the country. Hostile propaganda narratives about NATO's „offensive objectives“ have been actively developed, probably in preparation for a communication campaign on the joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises in September.
According to military analysts, the hostile parties spread disinformation to persuade their internal audiences to support the Kremlin's policy, both in the context of the Baltic States and NATO relations. Western audiences were led to believe that Lithuania and Poland were taking aggressive action against Belarus and that the joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises were a defensive response to the threat of NATO.
The Kremlin's information pressure on Lithuania and disinformation were aimed at achieving concrete effects: preventing the closure of the Polish-Lithuanian border crossings with Belarus, false domestic decisions on the hyperbolised“ Wagner“ threat, deterioration of transatlantic relations, and a decrease in public confidence in the Lithuanian army and NATO. One of the most essential effects sought by the Kremlin over the last year and a half has been a reduction in support for Ukraine among Western countries and their populations.
