Some of them have also officially started work from Rīga to continue informing the Russian public about the ongoing war in Ukraine, which is no longer possible in Russia due to the draconian laws and censorship adopted there.
Some of the best-known examples of Russian media relocating to Latvia include the Meduza and TV Rain news outlets.
But acting as a new base for Russian media comes with risks of its own, the State Security Service (VDD) is warning the highest officials in Latvia.
In a written reply to questions from Latvian Radio, the VDD assesses what is happening in the information space in the context of the current geopolitical situation and Russia's aggressive war in Ukraine.
According to the State Security Service:
The State Security Service constantly assesses the risks arising from Russia's targeted and systematic efforts to influence the information space and media. The State Security Service is informed about the work started by Russian independent media in Latvia. We can also point out that in this regard, the service has identified risks for the security of the Latvian information space, as well as intelligence risks related to the fact that media activity has traditionally been in the interests of Russian special services. The security service has informed the highest officials of the country about all this.
The State Security Service (VDD) is one of the three Latvian Security and Intelligence Services besides the Constitution Protection Bureau (SAB) and Defence Intelligence and Security Service (MIDD).
