The volunteer-run anti-propaganda Propastop blog published an article last week after its authors tracked information about a supposed separatist movement – the "Narva People's Republic" – in Estonia's eastern border town on social media.

Over the past month, social media accounts have popped up promoting the idea of separating Narva and Ida-Viru County from Estonia and creating a so-called Narva People's Republic.

"At first glance, the content appears to be a mixture of internet memes, cat pictures, and provocative jokes. A closer look, however, reveals a clear narrative in which Narva is portrayed as a separate political entity and the idea of establishing a so-called Narva People's Republic is promoted," Propastop, which is run by Defense League members, says.

The channels used to spread the disinformation have a small number of views, less than 100 when the article was published.

"Narva People's Republic" memes are spreading: flags, maps, and "autonomy" jokes framing Narva as separate from Estonia.

Edgy humor? No—the messaging echoes the 2014 Donbas propaganda playbook: stoking ethnic tension to normalize separatism.

Analysis ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/TlXl4NEQez

— Propastop (@propastop) March 11, 2026

ISS: Information operation

Marta Tuul, a representative of the Internal Security Service (ISS), told Delfi there is reason to believe this is an information operation aimed at sowing confusion and undermining social cohesion.

"Such tactics have been used before both in Estonia and in other countries. It is a simple and cheap method to provoke and intimidate society," she said.

"This is a provocation and participating in it may bring criminal consequences," the ISS representative warned.

At the government's weekly press conference on Thursday (March 12), Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) made similar comments, calling it an information operation created by Russia to sow confusion.

Delfi's Russian-language website wrote after interviewing residents in Narva that "most of the city residents surveyed are skeptical about the idea and do not see any point in it." Others had not heard about the social media posts or dismissed them as "nonsense" or a Russian information operation.

"A handful of followers"

However, ERR's Head of Radio News Indrek Kiisler criticized both Propastop and Michal for fanning the flames of the "marginal" accounts with a "handful of followers" by drawing attention to the subject.  

"Millions of similar absurdities circulate online, and are not worth paying attention to," he wrote.

On Monday, Propastop responded to Kiisler's comments, saying it is not better to remain silent.

"Such closing of one's eyes and self-censorship does not work in today's information society, where every idea will reach the public sooner or later anyway. Remaining silent would leave people in Estonia in a situation where they hear about such narratives randomly, without context, or only once the narrative has already developed into an information attack," it said in an article published on the blog.

'Basic and nothing new'

Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) responded to the story on Monday evening, urging people to "stay calm, [and] stay informed!"

"Narva is and always will remain an Estonian city," he wrote on the social media site X.

"These little attempts at creating confusion and weakening social cohesion are basic and nothing new," he continued.

"We've seen these tactics by and from Russia before, in Estonia and elsewhere — a cheap way to provoke confuision [sic] and outrage. Stay calm, stay informed!"

The minister added that a "response based on awareness is the best defense against covert influence."

He also shared an image of Estonia's flag hung on the walls of Narva Castle alongside those of the European Union, Ukraine and the yellow and green Narva city flag.

Narva is and always will remain an Estonian city. These little attempts at creating confusion and weakening social cohesion are basic and nothing new.

We've seen these tactics by and from Russia before, in Estonia and elsewhere — a cheap way to provoke confuision and outrage.… pic.twitter.com/U83ysXzWzs

— Margus Tsahkna (@Tsahkna) March 16, 2026

Foreign Intellegence Service: Basic noise

Head of the Estonian Foreign Intellegence Service Kaupo Rosin said the agency is monitoring this type of activity, but it is something it does not take "too seriously at the moment."

"What we have seen is that this is actually basic noise, let's say, prepared and put online by some activist. It seems that the Russian government is not behind this activity. And I also noticed that our own media in Estonia, let's say, played it a little bit bigger than it actually is," he told the Eyes on Eurasia with Glen Howard podcast.

Rosin also pointed out the accounts had a "very low" number of followers.

"So we don't take it too seriously. It doesn't mean that we don't have to pay attention, but this current push is nothing we take too seriously at the moment," he said.

This article was updated on Monday to add comments from Propastop and Margus Tsahkna.

It was updated again on Friday to add comments from Kaupo Rosin.

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