Ahead of Latvia’s parliamentary elections on October 3, 2026, The Insider identifies Russian agents of influence and Kremlin operatives working to destabilize the electoral process via pro-Kremlin propaganda, disinformation, and covert influence networks. Key figures include Vladimir Balobayev, a Kremlin handler overseeing Baltic affairs; Igor Sorokopud, the SVR station chief in Riga running intelligence operations focusing on NATO cooperation, Ukraine military aid, and Latvian officials; and proxies within Latvian political parties like the Russian Union of Latvia (RSL). Russia employs disinformation campaigns falsely accusing Latvia of collaborating with Ukraine to strike Russia and falsely reporting mass deportations of Russian-speakers. Prominent agents include discredited politicians, propagandists, and former spies who promote divisive narratives about NATO and ethnic discrimination against Russian speakers. The Kremlin restructured its Baltic influence apparatus in 2025 to centralize control under a new Directorate for Strategic Partnership and Cooperation led by Balobayev. These efforts represent a broader Russian hybrid warfare campaign targeting Latvia’s political stability and sovereignty.

Ahead of Latvia’s parliamentary elections on October 3, 2026, The Insider identifies Russian agents of influence and Kremlin operatives working to destabilize the electoral process via pro-Kremlin propaganda, disinformation, and covert influence networks. Key figures include Vladimir Balobayev, a Kremlin handler overseeing Baltic affairs; Igor Sorokopud, the SVR station chief in Riga running intelligence operations focusing on NATO cooperation, Ukraine military aid, and Latvian officials; and proxies within Latvian political parties like the Russian Union of Latvia (RSL). Russia employs disinformation campaigns falsely accusing Latvia of collaborating with Ukraine to strike Russia and falsely reporting mass deportations of Russian-speakers. Prominent agents include discredited politicians, propagandists, and former spies who promote divisive narratives about NATO and ethnic discrimination against Russian speakers. The Kremlin restructured its Baltic influence apparatus in 2025 to centralize control under a new Directorate for Strategic Partnership and Cooperation led by Balobayev. These efforts represent a broader Russian hybrid warfare campaign targeting Latvia’s political stability and sovereignty.