Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Baltic states Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, as front-line NATO members, have been targeted with persistent Russian hybrid warfare operations. These include disinformation, sabotage, cyberattacks, and other non-military tactics aimed at destabilizing the region and undermining Western cohesion. Russian and Belarusian authorities are accused of pushing migrants toward Baltic borders deliberately to create border crises. In May 2024, Lithuania announced plans to reinforce borders with Estonia and Finland following threats from Kremlin-backed actions. The Baltic states have also experienced increased influence operations, including disinformation and malign communications. Officials and ministers from Baltic and Nordic countries have emphasized the serious nature of the threat and deficiencies in current defense planning on hybrid warfare. The purpose of these hybrid tactics is to destabilize governments and societies short of traditional warfare, exploiting vulnerabilities while avoiding full-scale military conflict.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Baltic states Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, as front-line NATO members, have been targeted with persistent Russian hybrid warfare operations. These include disinformation, sabotage, cyberattacks, and other non-military tactics aimed at destabilizing the region and undermining Western cohesion. Russian and Belarusian authorities are accused of pushing migrants toward Baltic borders deliberately to create border crises. In May 2024, Lithuania announced plans to reinforce borders with Estonia and Finland following threats from Kremlin-backed actions. The Baltic states have also experienced increased influence operations, including disinformation and malign communications. Officials and ministers from Baltic and Nordic countries have emphasized the serious nature of the threat and deficiencies in current defense planning on hybrid warfare. The purpose of these hybrid tactics is to destabilize governments and societies short of traditional warfare, exploiting vulnerabilities while avoiding full-scale military conflict.