Prime Minister’s Office releases new overview of Russian information influence activities targeting Finland

Prime Minister's Office releases new overview of Russian information influence activities targeting Finland

In 2025, Russia's discourse about Finland took on a more hostile tone. Russia's increasingly aggressive messaging is a reaction to Finland's stronger cooperation within NATO, among other things. Russia also tends to harden its rhetoric towards its opponents as its own situation becomes more difficult.

The overview of information influence activities discusses Russian state influence efforts targeting Finland. The most recent overview analyses material collected in 2025. The overview focuses on sources representing the Russian state and on state-run media, which is a key channel for Russia's influence activities.

Information influence activities are goal-oriented and systematic acts aimed at influencing public opinion, perceptions and behaviour and undermining the ability of society to function. The overview sheds light on Russia's objectives and the messages it uses to achieve them so the public will be able to evaluate this content critically.

Russia's discourse about Finland has become more hostile

In 2025, Russia's messaging about Finland was more derisive and hostile than in the previous year. The report describes how Russia presents NATO's actions as a threat, overemphasises the presumed negative effects of sanctions on the West, uses a power politics framework to justify its military actions and exaggerates disputes between Western countries in an attempt to weaken alliances.

"This increasingly aggressive messaging is a reaction to Finland's visible actions as part of NATO, for example. In addition to this, Russia's deteriorating economy and the war's impact on society have prompted efforts to divert attention elsewhere," says Senior Communications Specialist Saara Jantunen-Paju.

The overview is produced by the Strategic Communications Team at the Prime Minister's Office, whose tasks include monitoring the information environment and preparing communications recommendations for the Government and other authorities.

Inquiries: Saara Jantunen-Paju, Senior Communications Specialist, Prime Minister's Office, tel. +358 295 160 592