 Russia's threat to the Baltic countries is increasing. Russia does not give up its attempts to gain control over the Baltic countries. Yahoo News has obtained confidential strategy documents drawn up by the Kremlin that reveal Russia's ambitious plans to exert its influence in the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Formerly annexed states of the Soviet Union, all three are now proud NATO and EU members with governments fiercely critical of Russia's foreign policy. Among other things, the documents show Moscow's intention to thwart the construction of NATO military bases, weaken the local democratic governments, expand Russian cultural and linguistic and bolster pro-Kremlin political organisations. But in a running theme throughout the documents, which were drafted in 2021, Russia's subsequent invasion of Ukraine has undermined almost every aspect of the plans. Estonia, our allies and partners, have long been aware of Russia's interest to use hybrid tactics to pursue their goals and try to assert their influence in other countries. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kalas told Yahoo News, It's Russia's classic playbook. Many of their tactics are taken straight from the KGB. We know our neighbour. She continued, Our job is to continuously share our knowledge of Russia's actions, build resilience and stand against Russia's direct and indirect attempts of influence. We have had to bolster our defences to stand up against any threat, including hybrid threats. And it's also crucial to discuss these matters publicly. In Greta Simonite, the Lithuanian Prime Minister similarly told Yahoo News after reading the Russian plan for her country that it was all something you would usually suspect. Latvia has been facing Russia's desire to strengthen and expand its influence in neighbouring countries since the restoration of independence. Said Kristianis Karins, the Latvian Prime Minister, Latvia maintains a realistic view of Russia's foreign policy and its initiatives. Latvia actively advocates for and promotes Russia's isolation. The documents were drafted by the Russian Presidential Administration's Directorate for Cross-Border Cooperation, which formulated similar plans previously revealed by Yahoo News for the creeping annexation of Belarus and the western toppling of Moldova's pro-western government.