ISW: Moscow’s tactics in Finland echo pre-invasion Ukraine

The Kremlin is running a coordinated information operation against Finland that is aimed at discrediting the government and creating the perception of internal instability, according to analysts at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Experts said that similar tactics have preceded Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.

“Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed on September 18 that the Finnish government’s “neutral veneer peeled off” and that revanchism is “literally on the rise” in Finland,” ISW said.

Meanwhile, Russian presidential special envoy Sergey Ivanov said that Russian-Finnish relations are effectively broken and will not improve due to Finland’s recent accession to the NATO defense alliance.

Analysts expressed particular concern over Ivanov’s involvement in the campaign. A former defense minister, deputy prime minister, and head of Putin’s administration, Ivanov has long been close to the Kremlin dictator, making his participation in information attacks a signal of Moscow’s serious intentions, experts say.

“ISW continues to assess that the playbook Russia is currently using to threaten NATO mirrors the playbook Russia previously used to set informational conditions justifying its aggression against Ukraine,” the report said.