Estonia warns of Russian interference during Baltic elections

Estonia’s defence minister Hanno Pevkur is warning that a series of elections around the Baltic Sea will increase the risk of Russian hybrid threats and influence operations, SVT reports.

Sweden will hold its election in a few weeks, followed by elections in several other countries in the region. Latvia will vote shortly afterwards, while Estonia’s election is scheduled for March.

“Russia is looking for opportunities to influence our societies, divide us and increase anxiety in our communities,” Pevkur told SVT.

Pevkur was speaking during a conference on security in the Baltic Sea region organised by the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce. Poland’s foreign affairs chief and director-general at the country’s foreign ministry, Henryka Mościcka-Dendys, agreed that the period would be vulnerable.

“Elections are perfect opportunities to try to influence, spread distrust and test the resilience of our societies,” she said. “We need to be vigilant and act against it, but we must do so together.”

Pevkur said hybrid threats had continued to increase, partly because of efforts to stop support for Ukraine. He said Russia was facing economic and battlefield difficulties and was therefore looking for ways to influence other societies.

“The military patterns beyond our borders have not changed much, but when it comes to hybrid attacks, we are seeing more and more,” he said.

Earlier this week, SVT News reported on fake videos spread by a suspected pro-Russian network ahead of the Swedish election. The fabricated posts appeared to come from Swedish and foreign media outlets and circulated false corruption allegations and lies about the election. They have been linked to the pro-Russian influence campaign known as Matryoshka.