Russia Begins Propaganda Campaign to Create a “Narva People’s Republic” in Estonia

Accounts have appeared on social media promoting the idea of separating Narva and the Ida-Viru County region from Estonia.

The posts propose the creation of the so-called “Narva People’s Republic,” according to the Estonian anti-propaganda media outlet Propastop.

The content is being spread via Telegram, VK, and TikTok.

The materials are presented in the form of memes, jokes, and internet images.

At the same time, they promote a narrative about Narva as a separate political entity.

One of the channels uses the hashtag “#WaitingForRussia” and refers to the project as a “state.”

This Telegram channel has about 60–70 subscribers.

Its main activity began in February 2026.

The materials feature their own symbols — a green, black, and white flag.

Variations of the coat of arms and insignia for this entity’s “armed forces” are also published.

In some posts, the Narva region is depicted as a separate territory between Russia and Estonia.

The authors also promote the idea of autonomy for Ida-Viru County to preserve Russian identity.

The dissemination of such content in Estonia’s information space effectively normalizes the rhetoric of separatism and the secession of part of the state’s territory.

It is currently unknown who exactly is behind these accounts, but the example demonstrates how such narratives can be promoted on social media through memes, symbols, and internet humor.

It is also worth noting that Russia has employed similar information tactics in the past.

Prior to the creation of the so-called “DPR” and “LPR” in Ukraine in 2014, communities also emerged on social media promoting the idea of “people’s republics,” which were later used as an informational foundation following the start of the Russian occupation.

Recently, Militarnyi reported on how Russia uses Telegram bots with artificial intelligence to shape public opinion.