Authorities in the Baltic States are preparing for possible provocations on 9 May 2026, when Russians celebrate the Soviet Union’s victory in World War II and occupation of central and eastern Europe. Authorities in the Russian border town of Ivangorod (Jaanilinn) will hold another propaganda concert on the banks of the Narva river for the residents of Narva on the Estonian side of the border, ERR reports. In response, Estonia’s Narva Museum will again hang a large banner calling President Vladimir Putin a war criminal, which will be visible from across the river on the Russian side, ERR reports.
In Latvia, State Police chief Armands Ruks warned that provocations on 9 May would not be tolerated, LETA reported. He said that police would intervene if people publicly celebrated Russia’s “Victory Day” in residential neighbourhoods. Meanwhile, Lithuania’s State Security Department (VSD) does not rule out possible provocations and violations of public order on 9 May, ELTA reported. VSD warned against displaying banned Soviet symbols, playing Soviet propaganda songs, or publicly justifying the Russian aggression against Ukraine. VSD urged residents to report such incidents.