The Russian Federation has developed a large number of instruments to put pressure on the West using non-conventional means such as cyber attacks, economic tools and information warfare. Using modern IT technologies in its hybrid activities, Russia, much like China or other authoritarian powers, is trying to challenge the current world order. These instruments are particularly evident in the Baltic States. This article uses Estonia as a case study to inquire into the political goals and strategic conduct of Russia. Specifically, the focus is on the political context, instruments of information war, and available countermeasures. As argued in the current study, the shift from European to Eurasian power, Russia’s careful management and success in avoiding crossing the “red lines” of its adversaries, as well as in exploiting the socioeconomic weaknesses and openness of the West, all play a relevant role in understanding the political context. As for instruments, Russia has developed strategic narratives and conspiracy theories, plus several channels next to media channels, and policy tools such as Pax Russica and the compatriot policy. These are deployed in its neighborhood and aimed at unintegrated segments of the Russophone populations.

This chapter delves into the complexities of defining and measuring resilience, highlighting the dual nature of resilience as both plasticity and elasticity. The chapter discusses the roles of state and individual actions in fostering resilience, focusing on critical infrastructure and proactive measures by individuals. It introduces counter-vector resilience, where different societal groups exhibit mutually antagonistic resilience efforts, particularly relevant in the context of Russian influence on Estonian society. The resilience debate in this chapter will take place in conditions of liberal democratic values. Drawing on lessons from Ukraine’s resilience during the 2022–2024 conflict, the chapter underscores the importance of both returning to an original state and adapting to new circumstances. Recommendations include clarifying terminology, differentiating between minimum and maximum levels of resilience, combining quantitative and qualitative methods for measurement, and, above all, conducting extensive mapping of actual views of peoples by their constituency, including a more detailed heat map of countryside in collaboration with the enhanced Forward Presence forces.

According to the prevailing Liberal view, conservatism and social reform are seen as essentially irreconcilable, thus making Tory Democracy appear as a myth. In the present essay, this inherently critical approach is challenged, and the reasons for its misunderstanding of the subject are outlined. It is argued that Tory Democracy is a real historical phenomenon and, additionally, that it is possible to grasp the essence of Tory Democracy as composed of certain logical, ideological and philosophical traits. The aim of this essay is to shed light on the complex phenomenon of Tory Democracy as it appeared in mid-nineteenth to early-twentieth century British