Russia’s disinformation campaign toward Finland mirrors the buildup to its brutal invasion of Ukraine

In its most recent intelligence assessment, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) issued a stark warning that Russia has begun repurposing its disinformation playbook, previously used to justify invasions of Ukraine, to target Finland, a NATO member as of 2023.

The Kremlin’s rhetoric has shifted into overdrive, accusing Finland of genocide, Nazism, and expansionist goals. Such accusations mirror the false justifications Putin used to initiate Russian military aggression in Crimea in 2014 and across Ukraine in 2022.

According to ISW, the escalation in hostile messaging toward Finland is not an isolated development. It forms part of a deliberate strategy to lay the groundwork, both ideologically and diplomatically, for potential future aggression against NATO members, under the guise of