According to the Government Office, the influence of Russian TV has decreased since before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Clips and summaries from Evening with Vladimir Solovyov, broadcast by Rossiya 1, occasionally appear in Western media, as the show often incites hatred against Ukraine, promotes restoring Soviet borders, or discusses the alleged persecution of Russian-speaking communities in the Baltic states.

Though many in Estonia may not know the show, thousands may still come across it.

Near the Russian border, Russian TV channels are available for free with an antenna, and full episodes of the Solovyov show and other propaganda broadcasts can be found on YouTube.

Users can also find Russian TV channels like Channel One and Rossiya in app stores, especially with newer TVs.

When the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA) started restricting Russian propaganda channels in Estonia.

Estonian telecom companies like Elisa and Telia can no longer broadcast many Russian channels, including RTR-Planeta, NTV Mir, and Channel One.

The English-language RT is also blocked in Estonia.

However, there is no ban on seeking other ways to watch these channels; viewing them in Estonia is not illegal.

Kristi Anniste, advisor for strategic communication at the Government Office, confirmed that Russian TV influence has declined, though this could also be due to people not openly admitting they watch such channels.

She said: "We have data from February 2022. Back then, a third of the non-Estonian population saw Russian TV as an important source of information. Now, that figure is 10 percent. Naturally, when monitoring viewership, we must consider that people might be less willing to admit they still watch these channels, given the state's restrictions."

Additionally, as of November last year, 34,000 Ukrainian war refugees were still in Estonia, numbers not seen before the war. Many come from Russian-speaking regions, which were hardest hit by the invasion.

The TTJA says it will soon gain greater authority to restrict propaganda channel transmissions more quickly if needed.

Ministry of Culture spokesperson Andres Jõesaar said the draft bill will apply only to TV packages offered by Estonian telecom companies or in hotel TV networks.

Jõesaar said: "To restrict the free-to-air broadcast of Russian TV channels in Narva — there is certainly no such plan. It would also be quite complex technologically. Recalling the lost Soviet era, when people in northern Estonia watched Finnish TV, the Soviet Union tried to limit information flows. Now, we are paradoxically in a similar situation. Nothing can be done about free-to-air broadcasting, and the same goes for other technological means."

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