Our mission is to provide insightful analysis of Russian disinformation and its various facets. We delve deep into Russian influence campaigns and decode the narratives employed by the Russian propaganda machine.
Important Update:
Our team of analysts has recently completed a comprehensive study on the dissemination of disinformation through German Telegram channels. The results are concerning - these channels have become a hub for the spread of conspiracy theories, false information about the coronavirus and vaccination, and, alarmingly, Russian disinformation.The study highlights the persistent and systematic use of disinformation by Russia to achieve its geopolitical objectives, not just in Ukraine but globally. In addition to Germany, our analysts have detected the presence of Russian disinformation related to Ukraine in the information spaces of numerous other European countries. The findings of this study underscore the urgency of combating disinformation and its harmful effects on societies. According to the research, the messages and narratives spread through these German Telegram channels are alarmingly consistent and repetitive. Our analysts have recorded the following recurring themes:
- Russia is portrayed as executing a ‘special operation’ against ‘Ukrainian Nazis’ and US hegemony and growing stronger despite sanctions.
- Ukraine is depicted as being ruled by a corrupt government of Nazi supporters who commit war crimes against pro-Russian citizens.
- The leaders of the United States and European countries are depicted as conspirators against the general population, with citizens suffering from inflation and rising utility tariffs due to a supposed conflict with Russia.
- The messages call on citizens of the US, EU, and Ukraine to protest against their governments and demand an end to funding for ‘Ukrainian Nazis’ and reconciliation with Russia.
In January, our team at Detector Media launched new sections on the DisinfoChronicle website, which has been documenting Russian disinformation in real time since the start of the full-scale invasion. The website now features sections Tactics and Newspeak, where our experts shed light on the methods used by the Russian propaganda machine to sway public opinion. For instance, we have already explored the tactics of mirroring and equivocation employed by the propaganda machine. We also delve into how Russia distorts the truth by manipulating language, such as the misuse of the terms ‘denazification’ or ‘special military operation’. Stay ahead of the disinformation game and visit the DisinfoChronicle website today. Also in January, our team at Detector Media conducted an analysis of the Russian propaganda surrounding the tragic events in Brovary and Dnipro. We also scrutinised disinformation messages present in a recent article by Viktor Medvedchuk, a former Ukrainian MP facing accusations of treason. At the beginning of 2023, our team of analysts at Detector Media released a study on the so-called ‘children of the Donbas’. The study exposes how Russian propaganda exploits the topic of children to justify deportation and other war crimes in Ukraine. The study shows that the Russian propaganda machine began promoting the topic of ‘children of the Donbas’ alongside the myth of the ‘8 years’ of alleged Ukrainian ‘shelling of Donetsk’, ‘bombing of the Donbas’, and ‘killing Russian people in the Donbas’.The broader definition of ‘children of the Donbas’ includes all minors living in the occupied parts of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhia, and Kharkiv regions, who are allegedly ‘suffering from the actions of the Kyiv regime’. The Russian propaganda machine claims that Russia came to ‘liberate’ these children. A narrower definition of ‘children of the Donbas’ refers to children from the occupied areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions who have ‘never known peace’.The latter definition was often used in the late summer of 2022 when Russian propaganda focused its efforts on the start of the school season and primary school students ‘spending their entire childhood under Ukrainian shelling’.
The study revealed the main propaganda messages:
- Ukraine is accused of being an aggressor and killing children in Donbas
- ‘Children of the Donbas’ are presented as Russian children
- Russia is portrayed as caring for and providing proper education to Donbas children
- The West is accused of ignoring the plight of Donbas children and even promoting their killing
- Ukraine must be held responsible for its alleged crimes, and the war in Ukraine is depicted as revenge for the ‘children of the Donbas’.
In addition, Detector Media provides an overview of Russian disinformation during the 10 months of the great war. It covers various false narratives, such as Poland being the aggressor, Zelenskyy being a puppet of the West, Ukrainians being Nazis, and others used by Russia to construct an alternative reality. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. If you have any thoughts or suggestions, please feel free to share them with us. Your feedback is valuable to us.
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