The outbreak of Russia’s full-scale aggression on Ukraine, on February 24th last year, was accompanied by an unprecedented influx of Kremlin-driven disinformation. One year on, Russia’s propaganda machinery does not cease to produce falsehoods.

Disinformation and conventional weapons go hand-in-hand in the Russian combat arsenal. For Russia, disinformation is a non-military measure to reach military goals. Since the beginning of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, in attempt to justify its illegal and brutal actions, Kremlin has been shamelessly conducting an unprecedented information war, which swiftly spread across nearly the entire globe.

Kremlin’s information war is no less cynical than its battlefield practices: twisting the reality, shifting the blame to Ukraine, NATO, or “the collective West” as Putin’s propaganda puts it, glorifying the war and denialism. – These are just a few examples of how Russia tries to deflect attention from the Kremlin’s responsibility for the atrocities committed by Russian troops in Ukraine.

. Over the last twelve months, in an attempt to justify the war, Russian propaganda has changed its narratives multiple times. To sow chaos and fear Moscow is cynically engaging in historical revisionism, accusing others of alleged Russophobia and “territorial ambitions” towards Ukraine. It spreads poisonous disinformation concerning refugees fleeing war-stricken Ukraine, the socio-economic situation, sanctions, food or energy supplies.

Russia’s propaganda machinery has mobilised numerous instruments to propagate false claims that Ukraine is a failed state and a safe haven for Nazis or suggest that Russia is a great and invincible power and a saviour of the oppressed.

The Kremlin,  with the help of a network of proxy media,  unscrupulously manipulates facts and deceives the global public opinion. “Pseudo-journalists”, of outlets such as RT and Sputnik, fabricated websites, troll and bot farms as well as social media accounts are essentially “information weapons” parallel to the Russian Ministry of Defence. This clearly proves Russia distorts reality systematically, in an almost industrialised manner. We must be ready for such provocations and increase prevention efforts to better safeguard a reliable information ecosystem. 

In its act of unprovoked aggression against an independent, sovereign state that is Ukraine, the Russian Federation infects the global info-sphere with false narratives, seeking to undermine values ​​of the free, democratic world,  to spread confusion and hate, to destroy peace and to destabilize the world order.

Narratives may vary, but most commonly used techniques and the end goal – to sow chaos and distrust – remain the same. Russia floods the world with disinformation so that its recipients question everything and no longer have the ability to distinguish lies form the truth. This way, any distorted version of reality, albeit most ridiculous could be believable.

Currently, the aim of Russian propaganda is not only to fuel tensions, isolate Ukraine or thwart a pro-active attitude towards Kyiv, but also to stimulate unrest in our societies. We may expect Kremlin’s continued efforts to test our resolution, solidarity and consistency - we must ensure our societies are not disillusioned about Russia’s economic blackmail.

Falsehoods, being the lethal weapon in Russia’s arsenal, can only be effectively countered through credibility and truth. We must not shy away from revealing Russia’s true face, but also warning the global public opinion against succumbing to sinister propaganda.

Sanctioning Kremlin’s mouthpieces sends a strong signal – there can be no consent for Russia’s coordinated and determined effort to poison our information spaces.

It is our common responsibility to speak with one voice and utilize our experiences to spread awareness on how propagandists deliberately play on emotions trying to hijack our minds and belief systems.

 

Łukasz Jasina 
MFA Spokesperson