Between everyday life and security realities: With the new video series “Cold Border: The Baltics in the Shadow of Russian Aggression,” DW reports from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania along NATO’s eastern flank.
The new format shows how the geopolitical threat situation affects daily life in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania: the possibility of a Russian war of aggression against NATO’s eastern border plays a tangible role here.
Juri Rescheto, who now heads DW’s Riga studio after its Moscow office was forced to close, says: “There is no such thing as a single Baltic identity, as is sometimes suggested, because all three countries are very different. Nevertheless, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia share one thing: their experience in the struggle for independence against first Russian, later Soviet influence. This experience is more valuable today than ever in light of the looming threat of an attack from the East on NATO.”
Between everyday life and threat
The DW Riga studio will initially produce three episodes, each running 10 to 15 minutes. The reports take viewers to border regions and other security-sensitive areas in the three countries. The DW team reports, among other things, from a warship in the Baltic Sea, from a paramilitary training site in Riga, and from a helicopter of the Latvian border guards. The series also includes a look into private daily life, for example at Russian-speaking families who continue to receive Russian state media.
Aya Ibrahim, Head of Current Affairs at DW, says: “With this series, we are focusing on a region that is of central importance both to our mission as an independent information provider and to our audiences. We are very grateful to collaborate with the Riga studio—the colleagues there are our direct connection on the ground.”
Digital first
In terms of production, the series follows a consistent digital-first approach. “Cold Border” is primarily produced for DW’s YouTube channels in English and Russian, with selected episodes also airing on linear television in the magazine Focus on Europa, adding further language versions.
The first episode on the paramilitary volunteer units in the Baltic states premiered at the end of April.