Activities to Increase Information Resilience Among Russian-speaking Baltic Residents

Deliverable 4.4 for the EU-funded project with the ID 118471, coordinated by the University of Tartu (UTARTU).

Inger Klesment | University of Tartu
Gretel Juhansoo | University of Tartu
Auksė Balčytienė | Vytautas Magnus University
Kristina Juraitė | Vytautas Magnus University
Lāsma Antoneviča | Baltic Center for Media Excellence

The Baltic states — Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania — are home to significant minority communities, particularly near their eastern borders with Russia and Belarus. These regions have historically been areas of diverse ethnic composition, with substantial Russian-speaking populations. For example, in Latvia, minority groups constitute a notable portion of the population. The largest among these are Russians (25.6%), followed by Belarusians (3.4%), Ukrainians (2.3%), and Poles (2.1%). These communities are predominantly situated in the southeastern part of the country, especially in the Latgale region, which borders Russia and Belarus. Estonia also has a significant Russian-speaking minority. According to the 2000 census, Russians made up 25.6% of the population. These communities are primarily concentrated in the northeastern part of the country, particularly in Ida-Viru County, which lies along the Russian border. Lithuania’s minority composition includes Poles (6.7%), Russians (6.3%), Belarusians (1.2%), Ukrainians (0.7%), and Jews (0.1%). The Polish and Russian communities are mainly located in the southeastern regions, near the borders with Belarus and the Kaliningrad exclave of Russia.

These minority communities, especially those near the Russian and Belarusian borders, are particularly susceptible to disinformation campaigns. Factors contributing to this vulnerability include linguistic and cultural ties to Russia, consumption of Russian-language media, and historical narratives. Disinformation efforts often exploit these connections to disseminate narratives that may undermine trust in local institutions and promote pro-Russian sentiments.

In response, the Baltic states have implemented various strategies to counteract disinformation. These include promoting media literacy, supporting independent journalism, and engaging with minority communities to build resilience against information manipulation. Regional collaborations, such as BECID, have been established to enhance these efforts.

This report is the deliverable for Task 4.4, with contributions from three of the BECID partners: UTARTU, VMU, and BCME. The task aimed to develop a media literacy campaign to strengthen information resilience and encourage civic activism among Russian-speaking populations in the Baltic countries, a group that is especially vulnerable to state-sponsored disinformation campaigns.

To address the statistics and regional differences in the Baltics highlighted in previous sections of the report, each partner country developed tailored action plans aimed at effectively reaching Russian-speaking populations and/or specific target groups within their respective regions. Each country also developed customized materials and updated presentations to reflect the unique experiences, needs, challenges, and situational factors encountered while implementing WP4.4 activities.