Event 868

{
  "attack_type": "Propaganda",
  "category": "InfoOps",
  "confidence": "High",
  "continuous_since": "2024-12-01T00:00:00Z",
  "countries": [
    "Estonia",
    "Latvia",
    "Moldova",
    "Serbia",
    "Bulgaria",
    "Slovakia",
    "Czechia"
  ],
  "country": "Estonia",
  "description": "A detailed report by Disinformation Observatory highlights the Kremlin-linked Pravda network’s extensive disinformation campaign targeting primarily Moldova, Latvia, and Estonia from December 2024 to March 2025. Over 643,000 articles across 45 countries were published, focusing disinformation pressure predominantly on former Soviet republics and Balkan states. Moldova experienced the highest per capita publication rate, 56 times greater than the Western European average, with Latvia and Estonia also targeted heavily. The operation uses automated publishing from hundreds of news aggregator sites and multiple languages, aiming to destabilize democratic institutions and weaken public trust in these strategically important regions. The campaign is characterized by strategic precision, long-term consistency, and recent tactics like LLM grooming to influence AI language model training data. The report urges NATO and EU nations to coordinate responses, enhance media literacy, and implement real-time disinformation monitoring amid concerns about diminishing counter-disinformation funding.",
  "event_time_utc": "2025-05-06T12:00:00Z",
  "evidence": [
    "https://www.propastop.org/en/2025/05/06/inside-the-kremlins-disinformation-offensive-moldova-latvia-and-estonia-are-the-main-targets/",
    "Over just three months—December 2024 to March 2025—the Kremlin-linked Pravda network disseminated 643,601 articles across 45 countries.",
    "Moldova , the most intensively targeted country, saw 11.25 publications per 1,000 people —a rate 56 times higher than the Western European average (0.20 per 1,000). Latvia and Estonia followed with 9.40 and 7.28 publications per 1,000 , respectively.",
    "Pravda is now flooding the internet with millions of AI-targeted articles across 182 domains in 12 languages , aiming to insert Kremlin narratives into the training data of large language models like ChatGPT and Bard.",
    "The goal is not simply persuasion—it’s disruption : to weaken public trust, inflame existing divisions, and paralyze democratic institutions in countries the Kremlin deems geopolitically pivotal.",
    "The report recommends a clear and proportional response: Targeted response strategies based on intensity, not blanket solutions.",
    "A Campaign of Precision, Not Chaos: Pravda’s methods demonstrate strategic sophistication: Targeting smaller populations maximises message saturation."
  ],
  "extra": {
    "extra": {
      "extra": {
        "evidence": [
          "https://www.propastop.org/en/2025/05/06/inside-the-kremlins-disinformation-offensive-moldova-latvia-and-estonia-are-the-main-targets/",
          "Over just three months—December 2024 to March 2025—the Kremlin-linked Pravda network disseminated 643,601 articles across 45 countries.",
          "Moldova , the most intensively targeted country, saw 11.25 publications per 1,000 people —a rate 56 times higher than the Western European average (0.20 per 1,000). Latvia and Estonia followed with 9.40 and 7.28 publications per 1,000 , respectively.",
          "Pravda is now flooding the internet with millions of AI-targeted articles across 182 domains in 12 languages , aiming to insert Kremlin narratives into the training data of large language models like ChatGPT and Bard.",
          "The goal is not simply persuasion—it’s disruption : to weaken public trust, inflame existing divisions, and paralyze democratic institutions in countries the Kremlin deems geopolitically pivotal.",
          "The report recommends a clear and proportional response: Targeted response strategies based on intensity, not blanket solutions.",
          "A Campaign of Precision, Not Chaos: Pravda’s methods demonstrate strategic sophistication: Targeting smaller populations maximises message saturation."
        ]
      }
    }
  },
  "is_continuous": true,
  "location_text": "Estonia, Latvia, Moldova",
  "schema_version": "v1",
  "summary_extended": "Between December 2024 and March 2025, the Kremlin-backed Pravda disinformation network disseminated over 643,000 articles targeting vulnerable democracies, focusing sharply on Moldova, Latvia, and Estonia. Moldova, with 11.25 publications per 1,000 people, faced 56 times the disinformation pressure compared to Western Europe. The campaign leverages hundreds of news aggregator websites and multiple languages, spreading Kremlin narratives without editorial oversight. Notably, the network has adopted ‘LLM grooming’ to insert misinformation into large language model training datasets, posing novel AI-related threats. The disinformation effort aims to disrupt democratic governance by inflaming divisions and eroding trust in public institutions. The report recommends strategic, calibrated responses, including enhanced media literacy campaigns and coordinated real-time monitoring by NATO and EU-bordering states, as well as EU readiness to bolster information defense if Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s resources diminish. This operation represents one of the most sophisticated Kremlin disinformation strategies in recent years, increasing geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe and the Balkans.",
  "summary_short": "The Kremlin’s Pravda network launched a sophisticated disinformation campaign targeting Moldova, Latvia, and Estonia with high-intensity, strategic messaging from late 2024 to early 2025.",
  "url": "https://www.propastop.org/en/2025/05/06/inside-the-kremlins-disinformation-offensive-moldova-latvia-and-estonia-are-the-main-targets/"
}

{
  "5th Column of Russians Inside (which countries)": "",
  "Attack Type": "Disinfo Campaign",
  "Borders Including Sea, Air,  Violation or Sabotage (which countries)": "",
  "Continuous? (e.g. Jammers)": "",
  "Country (FI;EE;LV;LT;PL;BSR;Air)\nSeparated by Semicolon": "EE;LV;LT",
  "Date": "6-May-25",
  "Defense Prep Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL)": "",
  "Defense Prep Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL) REF LINK": "",
  "Follow-Up Link?  (FI,EE,LV,LT,PL, BSR, Air)": "https://www.propastop.org/en/2025/05/06/inside-the-kremlins-disinformation-offensive-moldova-latvia-and-estonia-are-the-main-targets/ and https://disinfobs.com/index.php/access-pravda-ecosystem-dashboard-report/",
  "Follow-Up NOTES": "",
  "Follow-Up incl. Investigation, Prosecution?  (FI,EE,LV,LT,PL, BSR, Air)": "Kremlin disinformation campaign targeting vulnerable democracies in Baltics and beyond. Disinfo Targets: Top 10 Countries by Publications per Person Countries with the highest publication rates relative to population Rank\u0001Country\u0001Region\u0001Publications\u0001Publications per Person 1\u0001Moldova\u0001Former USSR\u000145,276\u00010.01125 2\u0001Latvia\u0001Former USSR\u000117,855\u00010.00940 3\u0001Estonia\u0001Former USSR\u00019,461\u00010.00728 4\u0001Serbia\u0001Balkans\u000143,128\u00010.00634 5\u0001Armenia\u0001Former USSR\u000111,274\u00010.00537 6\u0001Lithuania\u0001Former USSR\u000113,180\u00010.00471 7\u0001Georgia\u0001Former USSR\u000116,706\u00010.00451 8\u0001Slovakia\u0001Central Europe\u000115,435\u00010.00286 9\u0001Bulgaria\u0001Balkans\u000117,045\u00010.00247 10\u0001Czech Republic\u0001Central Europe\u000122,458\u00010.00210",
  "Latitude, Longitude (WGS84, Decimal Degrees)": "",
  "NOTES": "Analysis of ??643,601 articles over 3 months shows targeted disinfo in Moldova, ??Latvia, ??Estonia. Top 3 globally by publications per capita.",
  "Political Disruptions w/ Laws to Favor Kremlin (which countries)": "",
  "Russian-Belarus Terrorist Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL)": "",
  "Russian-Belarus Terrorist Event (FI-EE-LV-LT-PL) REF LINK": "",
  "Screen Snapshot": "",
  "Screen Snapshots": "",
  "Type Dropdown": "",
  "Where?\n(Air, Land, Sea)": ""
}