RUSSIAN INFORMATION CAMPAIGN AGAINST UKRAINIAN STATE AND DEFENCE FORCES

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PREPARED BY THE NATO STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE RUSSIAN INFORMATION CAMPAIGN AGAINST UKRAINIAN STATE AND DEFENCE FORCES

The report was executed for the NATO StratCom operations continue to play a substantial role in COE by the Centre for Applied Research under the the current crisis in Ukraine. Russia uses various Estonian National Defence College. media channels to conduct its operations against The objective of this research is to identify how the Ukraine, including governmental and private TV Russian media portrays the Ukrainian military and channels (e.g. Pervyi Kanal, Rossija 1, NTV, Russia security structures, including the policies of the Today, LifeNews), radio (e.g. Radio Mayak), mobile Kiev government and their ‘collaboration’ with the phone operators (e.g. KyivStar), Internet sources West. The research group looks at how messages (including online publications, e.g. Regnum, TV disseminated in the media attempt to construct Zvezda, Кomsomolskaya Pravda, Itar Tass, RIA attitudes and advocate behaviours in parallel Novosti ) and social media networks (e.g. YouTube, to political and military events on the ground in Facebook, Vk.com, odnoklassniki.ru). Some Ukraine. The research covers the period from 1 April Ukrainian sources hold pro-Russian attitudes until 31 December 2014 and analyses the following and can also be used to spread disinformation Russian media: Regnum, Komsomolskaya Pravda (e.g. Vesti). The separatist People’s Republics of and TV Zvezda. These media are important because Donetsk and Luhansk have their own channels they target not only Russian internal audience but producing anti-Ukrainian propaganda (e.g. dnr- also the Russian-speaking communities in the news.com, novorus.info). The current study has former territory of the USSR. focused on the media channels that represent the Russian mainstream—Komsomolskaya Pravda, TV The researchers used standardised content Zvezda, Regnum. These mass media channels are analysis in accordance to a specially developed generally critical against the Ukrainian government Coding Manual and enriched the findings with and armed forces, but do not offer a critical view data from 25 structured interviews with Ukrainian of the Russian government; they justify Russian representatives (media, political and military policy in Ukraine and see the Ukrainian crisis as a experts, as well as soldiers and officers involved in battlefield between Russia and West, referring to the military conflict). the clash of civilisations with the West (primarily From December 2014 the Russian military has the US and NATO, but also the European Union) adopted a new doctrine that explicitly states that allegedly intending to advance its sphere of information superiority is essential to achieving influence towards Russian borders. victory on the physical battleground in the modern war. It is crucial for NATO to draw appropriate RUSSIA’S INFORMATION CAMPAIGN AGAINST conclusions from the on-going conflict in Europe in UKRAINE order to further strengthen the unity of the alliance and avoid such conflict scenarios between Russia • The Russian information campaign in and NATO in the future. Ukraine in 2014 was a massive, multifaceted, responsive, and coherent operation that can Russia’s information activities have played a be considered a proxy war. significant role in the overall military operations carried out in the territory of East Ukraine since • Russia denies direct involvement, but supports 2014. Information operations were used at all local pro-Russian separatists to maintain the levels starting with the political level (against the conflict. Military activities are supported by state of Ukraine, state structures, politicians) up an active media campaign that undermines to the tactical level for justifying military actions Ukrainian authorities and their political goals initiated by pro-Russian forces. Information to reunite the country. confrontation and a variety of psychological NATO STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

• Russia avoids any steps that may promote • Ukraine has created posters and flyers to international involvement in crisis inform the Ukranian population about the management and does not support the efforts situation, especially in the Eastern part of of international organisations (UN, OSCE) to the country, showing pro-Russian separatist stabilize the situation. political and military leaders such as Alexander Zakharchenko, Alexander Borodai, Alexander • The Ukrainian authorities as well as Hodakovsky, and others as criminals. interested international organisations are considered to be merely puppets of the West • Ukrainian activists and NGOs have established under the guidance of primarily the United websites to disprove false information and fakes from Russia (e.g. www.stopfake.org, States and NATO. During Putin’s presidency, en.informnapalm.org). Russia has declared the restoration of Russia as a Eurasian empire as its national goal. However, according to the ruling REPRESENTATION OF THE UKRAINIAN SIDE IN THE RUSSIAN MEDIA narrative, Russia cannot be a real Eurasian Empire if it does not control Ukraine and In Russia’s information campaigns against Ukraine, the Black Sea, and control over Crimea is of Moscow propagandists use a number of different utmost importance. In the Russian national myths and narratives that are mostly related to mythology, Ukraine was an integral part of the Second World War, Stepan Bandera, and the birth of the Russian Empire. Ukraine’s the Ukrainian nationalists of the 1940s, but also special position makes crisis management refer to Nazism and violence. Additionally, they there extremely sensitive. use the images of the ‘glorious’ Soviet period. Such manipulations in the Russian media are very • Russian information activities skilfully target a common since Vladimir Putin came to power in the wide range of audiences with different beliefs Russian Federation. and convictions. The anti-Ukrainian approach Russia’s information campaign targets a number of relies on a variety of stylistic forms and different audiences in Ukraine. It aims to disparage nuances. It can take the form of sensationalism the Ukrainian government and demonstrate that it and blaming (e.g. Komsomolskaya Pravda) or is a corrupt, illegal, and fascist junta. The Ukrainian use a more restrained approach (e.g. Regnum, defence forces (including the volunteer units) are TV Zvezda). often compared to Einsatztruppen (executions • In addition to the content of the messages, squads), Nazis, killers, terrorists, bandits, and Russia technically ensures that certain servants of the Kiev junta. Ukraine is portrayed as messages reach specific audiences and others a failed state, or a puppet of NATO and Western do not (i.e. by controlling TV and radio towers, countries. Russian media channels have published mobile phone operators etc.). fake news stories about foreign soldiers and NATO troops in Ukraine, or try to show that some NATO UKRAINIAN COUNTER-ACTIVITIES or EU states help the Kiev junta and Ukrainian army, • Ukraine has stopped the transmission of who kill civilians and are Nazi sympathisers. Russian TV channels (e.g. NTV, RTR, Pervyi In the three media outlets analysed for this research, kanal, LifeNews) to Ukraine and promoted its Ukrainian Armed Forces were mostly mentioned in the own channels (e.g. Hromadske TV) to replace context of combat activities, terrorism and violence. them. RUSSIAN INFORMATION CAMPAIGN AGAINST UKRAINIAN STATE AND DEFENCE FORCES

The representatives of the Ukrainian Armed Forces country where there is effectively no democracy were mostly labelled as fascists and execution squads or freedom of speech cannot be mistaken for a (reference to the World War II) under the command source of alternative opinions. In this respect, of the Kiev “junta”. The Ukrainian Government NATO could foster closer cooperation with was mostly labelled as fascists and connected with numerous NGOs, think tanks, and human rights violence. watchdogs (e.g. Freedom House, Reporters without Borders, Amnesty International, etc.) that Often they were characterised as a failed government are already producing quality materials regarding unable to rule the country, take care of the citizens the real situation in Russia. Same goes to myth- and or command the army. disinformation- busting initiatives. Regnum used the widest selection of references Through thorough monitoring and intelligence to historical events, including WWII and the Soviet gathering, NATO should continuously pay attention period, but the share of articles referring to past to non-military actions that may have military events did not account for more than 10% of the co-objectives, including all operations related overall number of articles examined. Therefore, to information warfare, which have increasing the parallels that are often drawn between importance in contemporary conflicts. Particular Ukraine and Nazi Germany do not come in the focus should be put on the activities and conflicts form of references to the actual events of the past. with the Russian involvement. Instead, they appear in the form of labels used to describe target groups in Ukraine. While TV NATO should increase its own information Zvezda and Regnum only compare the Ukrainian capabilities and be prepared in the event of any government with Nazis, Komsomolskaya Pravda kind of information confrontation that would extends this judgement to the Ukrainian army and lead not only to military conflict, but also toward its leadership as well. In general Komsomolskaya political, social, economic, or environmental crisis. Pravda is the most judgemental of the three. Emotions are essential for narrative building and a powerful tool in shaping international relations. RECOMMENDATIONS The power of hostile information activities may NATO should consider to counter the view which nullify military advantages and disadvantages and asserts that the Russian state and culture are may distract political leaders from making rational something inevitably incomprehensible. There is no decisions and designing the attitudes and beliefs of ‘mysterious Russia’, which acts in an untold manner. states and societies. The major difference lies in the governance of Russia The best way to face any information confrontation and the West, and its implications for international would be to present rational arguments supported relations. However, there is no fundamental difference by real evidence to overturn myths and beliefs that between Russia and any Western country in terms of are introduced by destructive powers in order to carrying out research and raising awareness. create panic and manipulate populations. NATO should raise public awareness of specifics of Russia – its history, culture, ideology, politics, NATO STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS governance, army, etc.—in public diplomacy and CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE strategic communications targeted toward internal The NATO StratCom Centre of Excellence, based in audiences within member states. Latvia, is a multinational, cross-sector organization which provides comprehensive analyses, advice and Any efforts on behalf of Russia to portray itself as practical support to the alliance and allied nations. an exporter of ‘alternative opinions’ must be taken www.stratcomcoe.org | @stratcomcoe seriously. Disinformation and lies produced by a [email protected]