Post on 15-Mar-2020
5. RUSSIAN INFORMATION WARFARE AGAINST UKRAINE I: ONLINE NEWS
AND SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYSIS
5.1. Russia’s Information Warfare Against Ukraine
Vladimir Sazonov, Kristiina Müür
Introduction
the regular military force is used mainly as a deterrent and not as a tool of open aggression
highly effective, in many cases almost real-time coordination of the various means employed, including political, mili-tary, special operations and information measures
Ibid.
70 VLADIMIR SAZONOV, KRISTIINA MÜÜR
Information warfare opens wide asymmetric possibilities for decreasing the fighting potential of enemy’. strategic information warfare
For the Kremlin, propaganda has become an integral part of information warfare. Throughout the past decade the Russian propaganda machine has been structured and effectively implemented, reaching a climax during the occupation of Crimea and the subsequent devastating war in Eastern Ukraine. It started in 2005 with the creation of Russia Today (subsequently RT) and every year more ‘media’ outlets are added to this global network. Almost every week another propaganda outlet, Sputnik International, opens a new bureau somewhere in the world, hiring qualified local journalists and producing radio and multimedia content in almost 30 languages. According to their website, ‘Sputnik points the way to a multipolar world that respects every country’s national interests, culture, history and traditions. This is just one of the many examples of media outlet double-speak. In reality, their aim is to influence global public opinion, distort reality and act as a mouthpiece for the Kremlin.
715. RUSSIAN INFORMATION WARFARE AGAINST UKRAINE I
NTV
Ibid.
72 VLADIMIR SAZONOV, KRISTIINA MÜÜR
Einsatztruppen
735. RUSSIAN INFORMATION WARFARE AGAINST UKRAINE I
5.2. A Comparative Overview of Online News
Kristiina Müür
Komsomolskaya Pravda (KP), Regnum, and TV Zvezda –
KPTV Zvezda
TV Zvezda KP
Regnum
74 KRISTIINA MÜÜR
13 KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA
30
15
16
53
opinionpiece
statement
interview
reportage
news
11
70
43
60
opinionpiece
statement
interview
reportage
news
0
2
0
0
140
opinionpiece
statement
interview
reportage
news
REGNUM
TV ZVEZDA
number of articles
Figure 2. Genres of the articles analysed
KP TV Zvezda,
Regnum,
Regnum
TV Zvezda,KP
755. RUSSIAN INFORMATION WARFARE AGAINST UKRAINE I
49 KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA
38
14
6
5
combat activities
terrorism, violence
Ukrainian armed forces
MH 17
Ukrainian government
5humanitarian convoys
29
18
20
16
21
combat activities
terrorism, violence
West’s interference
Russia
Ukrainian government
7Minsk peace talks
33
20
19
12
11
combat activities
terrorism, violence
Ukrainian armed forces
West’s interference
Russia
8humanitarian convoys
number of articles
REGNUM
TV ZVEZDA
Figure 3. Main topics of the articles in KP, Regnum, TV Zvezda
KP
Regnum TV Zvezda
KP
76 KRISTIINA MÜÜR
KP
KP
KP KP
Regnum TV ZvezdaRegnum TV Zvezda
TV Zvezda Regnum KP
REGNUMDNR
RUSSIA
EASTERN UKRAINE
CRIMEA
NOVOROSSIYAOTHER
EURASIA/FORMER USSR
MOSCOW
OSC
E
USA
/NAT
O
EURO
PE /E
U
LNR
KYIV
81
34
47
11
21
19
25
20 16 6
10
11
7
1
4
14
14
4
345
UKRAINE
WESTERN UKRAINE
WEST
BALTIC STATES
DON
BASS
775. RUSSIAN INFORMATION WARFARE AGAINST UKRAINE I
TV ZVEZDA
479
0CRIMEA
NOVOROSSIYAOTHER
OSC
E
USA
/NAT
O
EURO
PE /E
U
LNR
97
74
45
44
4336
30
29 27 16
10
9
5
4
4
3
3
UKRAINE
DNR
RUSSIA
EASTERN UKRAINE
KYIV
MOSCOW
EURASIA/FORMER USSR
WESTERN UKRAINE
WEST
BALTIC STATES
DON
BASS
KOMSOMOLSK AYA PRAVDA
CRIMEA
OTHER
OSC
E
USA
/NAT
O
EURO
PE /E
ULNR
17
24
4
0
24
0
30 4
0 3
0
0
1
3
0
0
18454
18
1
1
UKRAINE
DNR
RUSSIA
EASTERN UKRAINE
KYIV
DON
BASS
MOSCOW
EURASIA/FORMER USSR
NOVOROSSIYA
WESTERN UKRAINE
WEST
BALTIC STATES
Figures 4–6. Geographic contextualisation of the Ukraine crisis in the art icles
78 KRISTIINA MÜÜR
KP
TV Zvezda
Regnum
KP
49141
4
1
1
126
4
3
2
128
0
Present time
Present time
Present time
Recent past
WWII
1945–1991
1991–2003
Recent past
Annexation ofCrimea
WW II
KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA
REGNUM
TV ZVEZDA
number of articles
2Recent past
2Soviet Ukraine1922–1939
Figure 7. Temporal contextualisation of the Ukraine crisis in the articles
795. RUSSIAN INFORMATION WARFARE AGAINST UKRAINE I
0 30 60 90 120
Komsomolskaya Pravda
Regnum
TV Zvezda
Russian analyst/expert
Other Ukrainian politician/institution
Separatist politician/institution
Other Russian politician/institution
Participant in events – separatist
Russian media
58
19
27
number of articles
Figure 8. Most popular sources referred to in the articles
Regnum
TV Zvezda
TV Zvezda
TV Zvezda KP Regnum
80 KRISTIINA MÜÜR
Western politician/institution
Separatist politician/institution
Other Russian politician/institution
Other Ukrainian politician/institution
Putin
Lavrov
PoroshenkoK omsomolskaya Pra vda
Regnum
TV Zvezda
number of articles
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Figure 9. Politicians and official institutions referred to the most in the art icles
KPTV Zvezda Regnum
KP KP
0
50
100
150
200
250
no judgement
russophobia
violence
Kyiv junta
execution squads
fascists
belittling
positive
Komsomolskaya Pravda
Regnum TV Zvezda
num
ber o
f art
icle
s
not mentioned
other negative
Figure 10. Attitude of the articles towards the Ukrainian armed forces166
815. RUSSIAN INFORMATION WARFARE AGAINST UKRAINE I
0
50
100
150
200
no judgement
against Russia
interference in Ukraine
TV ZvezdaRegnumKomsomolskaya Pravda
num
ber o
f art
icle
s
not mentioned
fascists
other negative
Figure 11. Attitude of the articles towards the command authorities of the Ukrainian armed forces – most mentioned
0
30
60
90
120
150
no judgement
fascists
against Russia
TV ZvezdaRegnumKomsomolskaya Pravda
num
ber o
f art
icle
s
not mentioned
other negative
interference in Ukraine
Figure 12. Attitude of the articles towards the Ukrainian government – most mentioned
82 KRISTIINA MÜÜR
Regnum TV Zvezda
TV Zvezda
KP, RegnumTV Zvezda
TV Zvezda
TV ZvezdaTV Zvezda
KPKP Regnum TV Zvezda
Regnum,
TV Zvezda Regnum KP
835. RUSSIAN INFORMATION WARFARE AGAINST UKRAINE I
0
30
60
90
120
150
West’s puppets
russophobia
violence
Komsomolskaya Pravda
Regnum TV Zvezda
num
ber o
f art
icle
s
no judgement
not mentioned
other negative
Figure 13. Attitude of the articles towards USA/NATO – most mentioned
0
50
100
150
200
fascists
against Russia
interference in Ukraine
positive
TV ZvezdaRegnumKomsomolskaya Pravda
num
ber o
f art
icle
s
no judgement
not mentioned
other negative
Figure 14. Attitude of the articles towards Europe/EU – most mentioned
84 VLADIMIR SAZONOV
0
50
100
150
200
fascists
against Russia
interference in Ukraine
TV ZvezdaRegnumKomsomolskaya Pravda
num
ber o
f art
icle
s
no judgement
not mentioned
other negative
Figure 15. Attitude of the articles towards the West as a whole –most mentioned
5.3. Komsomolskaya Pravda
Vladimir Sazonov
Komsomolskaya Pravda (KP)Komsomolskaya Pravda
KP
Komsomolskaya Pravda
855. RUSSIAN INFORMATION WARFARE AGAINST UKRAINE I
KP KP
KP
KP
KP, Regnum,
KP
KP
the Ukrainian TV channel Hromadske TV announces the planned killing of at least 1.5 million Novorossiyans
KP
86 VLADIMIR SAZONOV
KP
KP
KP
Komsomolskaya Pravda
875. RUSSIAN INFORMATION WARFARE AGAINST UKRAINE I
karateli’
KP
The moral conditions of the Ukrainian army make us more and more concerned. But the moral condition of army authorities is laughter through tears KP
Komsomolskaya Pravda
en masseKP
KP
Ibid.
88 VLADIMIR SAZONOV
Picture 3. ‘Nazis-perverts of the Ukrainian subunit Tornado established a 360 degree defence’ (Source: Komsomolskaya Pr avda)
KP
895. RUSSIAN INFORMATION WARFARE AGAINST UKRAINE I
KP
Komsomolskaya Pravda
Komsomolskaya Pravda
5.4. I.A. Regnum
Holger Mölder
Regnum News Agency
LiveInternet.ru
Regnum,
90 HOLGER MÖLDER
Regnum Regnum
– silovikiRegnum
Regnum
Regnum
Regnum
Regnum
915. RUSSIAN INFORMATION WARFARE AGAINST UKRAINE I
Regnum
5.5. TV Zvezda
Kristiina Müür
TV Zvezda
TV ZvezdaRegnum, TV Zvezda
KP
TV Zvezda
karateli
siloviki.TV Zvezda
KP TV Zvezda Regnum
TV Zvezda
92 KRISTIINA MÜÜR
TV Zvezda
TV ZvezdaTV Zvezda
TV Zvezda
935. RUSSIAN INFORMATION WARFARE AGAINST UKRAINE I
Picture 4. Poroshenko checking the military preparedness of troops in the special opera-tions zone (Source: TV Zvezda)
German troops preparing to be deployed to Ukraine
94 KRISTIINA MÜÜR
Picture 5. ‘German troops preparing to be deployed to Ukraine’ (Source: TV Zvezda)
955. RUSSIAN INFORMATION WARFARE AGAINST UKRAINE I
Picture 6. Bodies of 286 women found near Krasnoarmeysk (Source: TV Zvezda)
96 VALERIA JAKOBSON
TV Zvezda
Regnum KP TVZvezda
5.6. RIA Novosti
Valeria Jakobson
Ria NovostiSovinfrmbyro APN Agentstvo Pechati Novosti
.Russia Today
Ria Novosti Regnum TV Zvezda Komsomolskaya Pravda
Kiev power aggression against the population of Donbass, who are not satisfied with the February putsch
975. RUSSIAN INFORMATION WARFARE AGAINST UKRAINE I
,
. , 27 2,5
, 6 .
fascists karateli
siloviki.
98 VALERIA JAKOBSON
- “ ”,
./.../ , ,
, .
995. RUSSIAN INFORMATION WARFARE AGAINST UKRAINE I
, .
Humanitarian convoys
’ , . /.../ , , .
, , , , ,
’, –
- . , ,
100 VALERIA JAKOBSON
- ./.../
.
TV Zvezda
You are abandoned by your cowardly and thieving bosses and suffer deprivation and risk your life for NATO/USA interests
Ria Novosti TV Zvezda
1015. RUSSIAN INFORMATION WARFARE AGAINST UKRAINE I
102 KRISTIINA MÜÜR
5.7. Social Media
Kristiina Müür
-
Level of public engagement in debates
The content of the information activities
1035. RUSSIAN INFORMATION WARFARE AGAINST UKRAINE I
Vkontakte
104 KRISTIINA MÜÜR
Picture 7. Referendum in the East. Ukrainian media. Reality.
(Source: <https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1401189390165493&set=gm.309015822589221&type=1>)
Picture 8. Road to Donbass. Road from Donbass.
(Source: <https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1410177119266720&set=gm.314165772074226&type=1>)
1055. RUSSIAN INFORMATION WARFARE AGAINST UKRAINE I
Picture 9. Obama vs. Put in, ‘freedom’ vs. ‘occupation’
(Source: <https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=747957925286365&set=gm.392088527615283&type=1>)
Picture 10. Refere ndum for detaching the US from planet Earth. Repost if you agree.
(Source: <https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1489749131309518&set=gm.401719373318865&type= 1>)
106 KRISTIINA MÜÜR
Picture 11. The USA did not leave the British Empire entirely legally.
(Source: <https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1414239628860469&set=gm.318447504979386&type=1>)