Copyright © 2021 Euromaidanpress.com

The work of Euromaidan Press is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation

When referencing our materials, please include an active hyperlink to the Euromaidan Press material and a maximum 500-character extract of the story. To reprint anything longer, written permission must be acquired from [email protected].

Privacy and Cookie Policies.

Belarusian authorities are helpless before information and psychological attacks from Russia

Photo: Voyenno-politicheskoie obozreniye
Article by: Belarus in Focus

Information attacks from Russia in light of tension in Russo-Belarusian relations have demonstrated Minsk’s inability to counteract them efficiently. Belarus’ costly propaganda machine was unable to act without a clear guidance from the top, while the leadership was unprepared to react promptly and set clear tasks.

While Belarusians were busy discussing the prospects of the Russian military invasion under the guise of the “West-2017” military exercise, Moscow stroke a blow with a series of information attacks.

Early February was marked by several information and psychological attacks from Russia. Russia abruptly introduced border controls at the Russo-Belarusian border, produced false reports about Belarus’ withdrawal from the CSTO and the EEU, and accused the Belarusian authorities of undermining Russia’s security, all of which destabilized Belarus’ information space and prompted discussions among politically engaged and apolitical Belarusians alike.

[quote]As a result, a world, where Russia was a close and reliable ally has collapsed before the eyes of many Belarusians. The reaction of the Belarusian authorities was frankly nervous: the Belarusian Ambassador to Russia came to the Russian television in person to provide explanations, which was unprecedented.[/quote]

The Belarusian authorities made very vague statements about Belarusian-Russian relations. The state media, not having any clear guidance, mostly quoted Belarusian officials: it did not have any action plan or a strategy to respond to Russian attacks.

During his more than seven-hour and very chaotic speech on February 3rd, Lukashenka only confirmed that Russo-Belarusian relations were in a crisis on multiple fronts. He did not outline any prospects for the future normalization. All that only reinforced the impression of confusion among Belarusian officials.

[quote]It should be noted, that the recent information attack from Russia was a limited one. However, it was enough to demonstrate how helpless the Belarusian state propaganda was.[/quote]

This, in turn, could prompt the Kremlin to a large-scale operation aiming at psychological impact and misinformation against Belarus. In the given circumstances, the Belarusian authorities have only one protection tool – to restrict dissemination of information, including on the Internet.

This article was originally published by the Solidarity with Belarus Information Office (SBIO) is a Warsaw-based non-profit, non-partisan organization working closely with Belarusian and international journalists and expert community to overcome Belarus’ isolation by promoting democratic values and transformation, and is republished with permission.

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this.  We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!
Total
0
Shares
Related Posts