Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels sought to sway Latvia's parliamentary election

Several pro-Kremlin Telegram channels, including "Тени Прибалтики" and "Latvijas balzams" among others, spent the summer before Latvia's Saeima election systematically spreading political messaging about the vote and specific candidates.

Assessments of candidates

The channels praised Jūlija Stepaņenko of the "Sovereign Power/New Latvians" alliance, framing her Russian background as proof of her honesty, and gave partial, more reserved and sometimes ironic support to "Latvia First" leader Ainārs Šlesers. Aleksejs Rosļikovs, who fled to Belarus, was criticized across several channels, which accused him of secretly cooperating with Latvia's State Security Service and of not being trustworthy to Russian-speaking voters. Criticism also extended to other politicians and parties — the National Alliance, "Progressives" and others — which the channels grouped together under claims they sought to impose an "ethnocracy."

Sowing distrust

Several posts aimed to cast doubt on the electoral process itself. The channels mocked election organizers' preparations for emergency scenarios, including possible air and power threats, linking them to Latvia's support for Ukraine. Some posts directly claimed that vote counting would be manually rigged, though no evidence was offered for such claims. In other cases, voters were warned of historical tragedies repeating if the current ruling parties remained in power.

Additional messaging

One channel also published a video appeal from Donetsk in which Saeima deputy Igors Rajevs was accused, without evidence, of responsibility for children's deaths. In late August, several channels also circulated a list of voting recommendations attributed to imprisoned Aleksandrs Gapoņenko.