Another russian hybrid operation in the Baltic region exposed
The kremlin is attempting to restore its political influence in the Baltic region through a network of controlled academic structures. This is stated in the annual report of the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service.
▫️ Following the launch of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO, russia lost access to key formats of regional cooperation. In response, moscow began promoting the concept of a “Baltic-Scandinavian Macro-Region” (BSM), intended as a tool to regain influence.
▫️ According to intelligence findings, the initiative is coordinated by the office of the president of the russian federation for cross-border cooperation, which is linked to russia’s security services and intelligence agencies. Under the guise of academic cooperation, discussions focus on security issues, sanctions, and the domestic politics of regional states. In reality, the project has nothing to do with genuine academic work and represents yet another hybrid influence operation.
▫️ One of the practical implementations of the BSM concept is the so-called “Baltic Platform.” However, efforts to establish dialogue with scholars from the Baltic and Nordic countries have failed. Most participants are russian researchers themselves. To create the appearance of “international” representation, the format includes representatives from belarus and pro-russian “experts from third countries.”
Similar attempts by russia to conduct hybrid influence operations through academic platforms have previously been recorded in other Nordic countries, including Norway, indicating the systematic nature of the kremlin’s approach.
