Military report 30 pct increase in disinformation incidents in February

The Armed Forces' Strategic Communication Department registered a total of 382 instances of negative information activity in the Lithuanian information space last month.

"Compared to the last six months, the number of disinformation incidents increased by almost 32 percent," it said a press release on Wednesday.

A "complex information operation against Lithuania and Poland" was neutralized in late February. The attack was aimed at discrediting politicians and the media of both countries, and US troops, according to the press release.

"In terms of intensity, periodicity and content, the main targets of disinformation on February 1-28 were Lithuania's aspirations to pursue a foreign policy based on the rule of law and democracy, to actively participate in NATO's capacity building process and to seek possibilities to establish a new military training ground," the military said.

Disinformation was also targeted at Lithuania's steps to secure energy independence and to disconnect its grid from the post-Soviet electricity system BRELL, at the Klaipeda LNG terminal, and at "day-to-day economic and social policy processes in the country".

Lithuanian-Belarusian relations remained a popular topic of disinformation, too.

"Lithuania continues to be accused of trying to destabilize the situation and interfere in Belarus' internal affairs, of an 'anti-Belarusian' foreign policy, and of alleged pressure on the neighboring country," the military said.

"These allegations were often linked to Lithuania's economic and social 'losses' due to its position. It was said that Lithuania had lost transit cargoes from Belarus and Russia and stable income, and that it 'blindly' applied sanctions, not sparing even its own citizens working in the Belarusian-owned spa Belorus. It was said that Klaipeda port employees might face the same fate, too."

Disinformation spreaders' attention to Lithuanian-Russian relations also intensified, due possibly to Lithuania's active position on human rights violations in Russia, its refusal to purchase the Sputnik V vaccine, and its policy towards the EU Eastern Partnership countries.

"Lithuania and the other Baltic states were accused of Russophobia, of human rights violations, of restrictions on freedom, and of acting on US instructions," the military said. "Lithuanian politicians' visits to Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, which allegedly demonstrated our state's 'imperial' ambitions, were the targets of aggressive attacks."

False narratives were also spread about Lithuania's NATO membership and other topics in a bid "to undermine citizens' loyalty to their state and their trust in the country's institutions, and belittle the importance of NATO membership".