Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre (NKVC) said it has identified disinformation posts on social media questioning the country’s territorial integrity, particularly spreading separatism narratives surrounding the country's Klaipėda region on the Baltic coast.
"We do not yet have reliable information on whether these posts about the Klaipėda region are linked to similar disinformation campaigns in Estonia or Latvia, but authorities are responding and contacting platforms to request the removal of content questioning Lithuania's territorial integrity," NKVC said.
The cases are being monitored by analyst teams from Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre, the State Security Department (VSD), the Lithuanian Armed Forces, and the police.
"We currently assess that the reach of these posts is limited, but the nature of the content is provocative and could be used to create or support an information attack," the centre said.
NKVC identified the disinformation being spread on TikTok and other platforms, which claimed that the port city of Klaipėda belonged to Russia.
"The most important thing for the public is simple information hygiene – do not share or comment on such posts in a way that increases their visibility," the statement said.
Similar posts previously appeared surrounding the predominantly Russian-speaking Narva region in Estonia. Activists then came under criticism for allegedly amplifying the narratives by overtly debunking them.
Prosecutors launch probe
Klaipėda’s regional prosecutor has launched a pre-trial investigation into allegations of assisting a foreign state in activities against Lithuania, authorities announced on Thursday.
Prosecutors believe these posts may be intended to assist a foreign state or organisation in undermining Lithuania's constitutional order, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and its defensive or economic power.
The investigation is being led by the Organised Crime and Corruption Investigation Department of the Klaipėda Regional Prosecutor's Office, with officers from the Klaipėda County Police Headquarters conducting the inquiry.
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