Estonian Information Board about propaganda

Estonian Information Board is a governmental organisation that deals with intelligence. In February they published their second annual review, which gives an overview of Estonia’s external threats. Five pages from 63 are about information warfare and propaganda. Propastop provides a summary of this review:

• Russia is the only country conducting informational influencing against Estonia.

• According to Gerasimov doctrine, informational influencing is carried out by Russia during peacetime. It is a low-cost, well-established and efficient set of techniques. Influencing is not something done only by the army and the special services, but the entire state apparatus is working along. Direct propaganda is used alongside covert methods.

• Why is Russia engaged in information warfare? It seeks to create tension and confusion in the European Union, hoping that way to influence decision making.

• In Estonia and other Baltic states, information warfare conducted by Russia has two primary goals. There is a desire to create tension among natives and Russian-speakers, sow distrust against Estonia and show that Russia is advocate defending minorities interests. Among Western countries and international organisations, Russia wishes to show the Baltics as incompetent and undemocratic partners. This is supposed to diminish the relations with the allies and reduce the role of Baltics when Russian-related international politics is formed. Baltics are also portrayed this way as meaningless small nations who are suffering from historical complexes. They are continuously provoking war-panic, not letting this way great powers to reach a compromise.

• As there will be a big military exercise “Zapad 2017” and Estonia will be holding Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2017, there is to be expected a rise of influence activities.

Photo: Head of the Estonian Information Board Mikk Marran. (Image: Tairo Lutter / Postimees / Scanpix)

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