A guide to Russian propaganda. Part 4: Russian propaganda operates by law of war

Russian propaganda can be confusing. The fakes and manipulations are endless, often outrageous, and differ depending on their target audience. Russian propaganda for Russians differs from Russian propaganda for Ukrainians, Americans, Germans, or Georgians. With all the crazy fakes, it's easy losing track of what this coordinated hostile information campaign is pursuing altogether, which makes finding the proper reaction more difficult. It needn't be so. Russia’s Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu has called mass media “but another arm of the armed forces.” Russian state-controlled media and social media trolls are serving the government's military interests, pursuing strategies that have been developed by the Soviets during World War II. It’s easier understanding them if you knows how media operate by law of war. Pro-Kremlin media have been operating this way since 2014, when Russia occupied Crimea and started its covert war in eastern Ukraine. Then, well-known Russian journalist Yury Saprykin noted that “Russian media… are in a state of war, live and act according to the law of war.” But in fact, Russia is at war not only with Ukraine, but also with the West. And so is its media.

Propaganda raising the morale of Russians

To help their own side win, during World War II  the Soviets raised the battle spirits of their side and created an image of the enemy. They raised the battle spirits of their own to increase confidence and send the message “we are strong.” As a result, soldiers were encouraged and emboldened to kill more of the enemy and capture territory, and the home front, with lifted spirits, supported the action on the battlefield.

These images boosted the battle spirits of the Soviet Army during World War II

Today, Russia raises the "battle spirits" of Russians in massive military parades featuring nukes, in PR campaigns threatening nukes in response for sanctions, and in TV shows showing playful plans to invade Europe and nuke the UK and USA. As a result, Russians support their authoritarian leader, strong country, and valiant army which is engaged in at least two conflicts on the ground, in Syria and eastern Ukraine. So what if the world is against us, so what if life is lousy. We are a strong nation and we will win. 

This T-shirt campaign insisting that Russia's nuclear weapons are not afraid of sanctions offered Russians solace after Russia's invasion of Ukraine was met with economic punishment, and a plan to nuke the UK and USA sends the message that their country is strong

During WWII, the Soviets created the image of the enemy to make killing easier for soldiers by removing moral restraints. The enemy was shown either to be evil, devious and nefarious, provoking anger, or, conversely, ridiculous, to provoke scorn and make killing the enemy not as scary. Often, the enemy is dehumanized and shown as an animal or monster. This, too, is intended to drive up hate and scorn, remove moral restraints, and facilitate killing.

These Soviet World War II posters depicted the Nazis as either bloodthirsty all-mighty monsters or ridiculous, weak creatures. The contradictory messaging was necessary to, first, give the soldier a sense of moral righteousness to kill something absolutely evil, and, second, to make him less afraid of this absolutely evil entity

Today, this is being used in Russia’s hybrid war against Ukraine. Like this staged video purporting to show Ukrainian soldiers crucifying and burning a Russian-backed militant, with the goal of portraying Ukrainian soldiers as inhumane creatures, and keeping up the feeling of rightful rage which gives Russia's hybrid army the motivation to either go to Ukraine and kill people who are very similar to them, or take up arms and fight against compatriots molded into an enemy. 

Fakes about the Ukrainian army's supposed inhumane actions are a regular topic for Russia's propaganda accompanying its undeclared war in Ukraine

But since Russia tells its citizens that its real “enemy” is the “evil West”, particularly the USA, Ukraine is portrayed as only its puppet state, until recently personified by Barack Obama. The USA is mocked and demonized in Russian propaganda. So is the EU: it is shown to be either aggressive and interventionist, or decadent and falling apart.

These memes give Russians the image of an enemy to hate. Ukraine, because they are at war with Ukraine, the USA which is shown to be its evil puppetmaster, and the EU. Similarly to the images of the enemy during World War II, the enemy is either devious and all-mighty, or ridiculous, weak, and falling apart. Memes are a convenient visual representation of a narrative prevailing in Russian news and opinions. Russians are being taught to hate the West via these narratives.

Propaganda demoralizing Russia's opponents

In WWII, the Soviets created propaganda for Germans that aimed to create divisions, destroy unity, and alienate people from the leadership, convince them that they are doomed to fail, and urge them to capitulate to the benevolent enemy. Today, Russia’s hybrid war is different from WWII. It’s a war on democracy. But its propaganda messaging uses the same tactics.

It aims to weaken and destabilize the West, undermine the public discourse by providing a warped view of the world, where Russia can do no wrong, and the USA and EU are corrupt dystopias that are tearing themselves apart.

It achieves this by exacerbating existing divisions or creating new ones. In Ukraine, Russia tries to persuade Ukrainians their choice of Eurointegration was a mistake and there is no alternative to returning under Russian hegemony.

These Russian propaganda memes send Ukrainians the message "Just give up on your EU idea and return under our sphere of influence"

In the EU, pro-Kremlin outlets try to convince that the Union is doomed and should disintegrate, fulfilling the Kremlin’s dream of a weak and divided Europe, persistently implying that Europeans need to be afraid - of Muslims, of migrants, of their leaders, which opens the door to populism while closing it to reasonable debate. It also tries to justify Russian aggression abroad and increasingly totalitarian policies at home, implying that Russia’s occupation of Crimea,

Russia’s claims to Ukraine, and Putin’s crackdown on his own citizens should be accepted.  Both in Ukraine and the EU, Russian propaganda aims to create divisions, destroy unity, and alienate the people from the leadership. In Ukraine, it incites Ukrainians to overthrow its post-Euromaidan leaders in a “Third Maidan” and suggests that the EU has ignored Ukrainians' European aspirations and abandoned them, while in the EU it undermines trust in leaders, stokes up fear, anger, resentment, sending the message that the existing leadership doesn’t represent the people's interests and must be overturned. Here are some examples of Russian propaganda from all the categories we mentioned, courtesy of the collection of disinformation of EU vs Disinfo. NOTE: These are all titles of fake news reports, conjured to create a false image of reality.

Propaganda raising the morale of Russians

Propaganda demoralizing Russia's opponents

A. RAISE BATTLE SPIRITS OF RUSSIANS Soviet victory in WWII was "a symbol of the highest achievement of historical Russia in its confrontation with the collective West". The anti-Russian sanctions of the US have not had any effect Poverty in the US is comparable to poverty in Russia There is no evidence that Russian athletes have been using doping Russia is the guarantee for security of Ukraine The US destroyed the European values and culture, so now Russia is the only flagship of the European civilization The true cradle of humankind is not Africa but Siberia USSR forced the West to form a middle class, overcome segregation and develop education and human rights Western experts confirm the Russian army's superiority B. CREATE THE IMAGE OF THE ENEMY  The evil enemy The U.S is turning Ukraine into a biological bomb The West did not let Russia participate in the Olympics The Ukrainian Army play fascist music when they bomb the cities of Donbas ISIS fighters are joining Ukrainian batallions The US is supporting terrorists in Iran and aims to organise a coup in the country Russia is defending itself in a global war that has been announced against it. Europe tries to destroy Russia The war in Ukraine is directed solely against Russia Washington has plans for preemptive nuclear strikes on Russia Ukraine is destroying people based on their ethnic origin The authorities of Ukraine have already conducted ethnic cleansing in Donbas Russophobia is inseparable from Western identity Linguistic genocide in Latvia The ridiculous enemy Soldiers of the Ukrainian army take drugs "Ukrainianness" is a fabricated anti-Orthodox anti-Russian project implemented by Lenin Ukraine’s premier jazz festival was to be cancelled because of the rubbish collection problem the city is grappling with In the USA and Europe, children are becoming more and more stupid The Kiev regime turned its soldiers into guinea pigs for the US Ukraine among countries with highest level of organized crime President Poroshenko's wife steals money from disabled children Finnish officials have taken a child into custody because her mother slapped her with a T-shirt Europe is in a total mess: Baltic countries are complaining they can't afford to eat Ukraine is an artificially created structure that cannot function independently without the West

A. CREATE DIVISIONS, DESTROY UNITY The EU migration crisis is an invasion organized by the EU and USA The US regards Europe as its ‘main enemy’ in the world Muslims were “celebrating” in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the Champs-Elysees in Paris The US is attempting to occupy Europe George Soros is manipulating the situation in Europe, influencing the media Migrants are smuggled to the EU on an industrial scale by NGOs supported by Brussels Globalists, namely an alliance of the Rothschilds and the Rockefellers, want the West to destroy the Slavic world and to establish worldwide neomarxism American soldiers are bringing drugs to Poland, drinking alcohol in Polish cities and causing public scandals Daesh started to arm refugees EU is considering to ban kebab and Greece is now facing a gastronomic genocide Norwegian army chief, Odin Johannessen, says that Islam needs to be destroyed The Czech government wants to create a Euro-army instead of being part of NATO Paris cancels the annual Christmas markets, instead, it will only hold Ramadan Images prove that the US is helping Daesh B. CONVINCE THEM THEY ARE DOOMED TO FAIL  The European Union's Eastern Partnership program has already proved fatal for Ukraine In the relations between Ukraine and the EU there is already the beginning of a crisis If Moldova enters the EU, it will break up as a country There is a 97 % probability Ukraine will fall apart The Ukrainian Health Ministry will no longer help cancer patients Because of anti-Russian sanctions, Hungary has lost billions of dollars Czech Republic is undergoing islamisation with the help of the state According to EU Commissioner Hahn, Bulgaria will disappear as a nation in 40 years. Hahn claims that this process is irreversible and that the EU should claim the territory Only Europe gains from the association agreement with Georgia Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA): Ukraine was deceived by the EU Ukrainians go to Poland to save its economy since Ukraine's economy has failed and cannot be saved The United States has recognised Donetsk People’s Republic The countries that adopted the European integration path are mostly affected by population decline C. URGE THEM TO CAPITULATE TO THE BENEVOLENT ENEMY President Vladimir Putin wants to establish good economic ties with Ukraine Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians are a single nation Life in the Tsarist Russia was more pleasant than in European countries Majority of the Georgian population supports Georgia's political and military neutrality Georgian authorities had more freedom under Soviet rule than the current [Georgian] authorities have from America Note. While Russia aims to create divisions and discord in all its targets, items B & C are reserved for societies with links to Russia, which had been under Russian rule and have made steps towards the West.

Remember: pro-Kremlin media in your country use war tactics to help the Kremlin win and the West lose. Don’t be duped. Check your facts. [hr]Video designer: Ganna Naronina; Script: Alya Shandra; Narration: Bradford Betz