Propaganda and Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
Our Understanding Is Influenced In Ways We Don’t Always Notice
We are all susceptible to propaganda. Nobody can fact-check everything, so we prioritise our main concerns. And we all have our own biases to feed.
There’s a great story behind the above picture; a brilliant MiG-29 fighter pilot helping expel Russian invaders from Ukraine’s capital by shooting down six enemy jets. But there’s a catch:
All evidence says that this pilot never existed.
It’s more likely that several different pilots defended the city when the invasion started on 24 February 2022. But it’s a superb piece of propaganda. It symbolised Ukraine’s determination to defend its independence, boosted Ukrainian morale and inspired support for the country’s defence.
Does it matter that it wasn’t the whole truth, if the result was positive?
Why such stories work so well
Propaganda is most effective when it gets an emotional response, which sinks in before more serious thinking starts. This first response usually dominates, even when there’s strong evidence against it.
Our reactions are always partly subjective; I’ve always loved aviation, and discovered the “Ghost of Kyiv” story around the time Russian invaders destroyed the famous Antonov cargo plane, which you can read about here if you like.
I’ve also lived in two countries with reasons to fear powerful neighbours. (Over 20 years in Ireland, which was oppressed by England/Britain for over 800 years, and 13 years in Cuba, with its economy distorted by the United States which has several times intervened militarily there.)
It’s deeply uncomfortable to know that your home could be destroyed, as happened to Ukrainians, and I care a lot about injustice.
Putin claims Russia “had to” invade Ukraine
Actually, he claims the “Special Military Operation” was necessary. Most people call it a war; I prefer to call it an invasion, because that’s what it is. Invasion is aggression, which is a war crime.
Not answering to anyone, he also claims Ukraine is part of Russia. Aggressors make and publicise their excuses, and he isn’t the first to do this. “Justifying” the unacceptable is an essential propaganda task.
I was brought up to believe the British Empire was “necessary” to “civilise” the colonies— they didn’t know I’d ever check that out. In fact, Africa and India had advanced civilisations long before Europe did. The Empire’s main achievement was to make rich English people even richer.
More recently, do you remember when the US and its allies “had to” attack Iraq because of its “weapons of mass destruction?” Or that farce before the first war against Iraq, when a relative of a Kuwaiti diplomat claimed she had seen invading Iraqi soldiers removing premature babies from incubators?” Both got the necessary gut reaction.
None of those claims was true, but they were highly effective propaganda. Until we thought about them.
We can go back to the Battleship Maine if you like, or even ancient empires.
How it works in Russia
At first, Putin claimed Russia was “threatened by Ukrainian Nazis.” I’ve never been to Ukraine, but doubt that it had more Nazis than anywhere else. Yes, I know about the Azov regiment, but by February 2022 they had been reorganised and accepted into the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
“Nazi” is a highly emotive word in Russia, linked to the Soviet victory in the “Great Patriotic War,” known to everyone else as World War II. They were invaded by Nazis and had to fight hard. A “Nazi threat” (real or imagined) makes most Russians imagine themselves heroically defending us all again.
The message works, however it’s conveyed: “You are in danger but, with us in charge, you’ll be fine.” Unless you disagree with “us” of course.
The Soviet war effort was certainly valuable back in the 1940s and they deserve credit for it. So do all the Allies. It was an impressive show of working together for a shared goal. But they were defending then and are attacking now. Most of us know the difference.
When the “Nazi” accusation didn’t impress anyone outside Russia, Putin’s backup excuse was that Ukraine was corrupt. Most countries usually have at least five corruption cases in progress at any time. Considering the role of oligarchs in Russia’s economy, the man is a master of irony.
There are legal ways of dealing with disputes with neighbouring countries, without killing anyone.
Russian propaganda inside Ukraine
The idea above (from 18 July 2022) seems to be that, under Russia, little girls in Kherson will all be happy little princesses.
The inscription says: “Russia is here forever” — Ukraine re-took the city on 11 November 2022.
We all like to see cute children happy, don’t we? The specious link between that and the Russian invasion is part of the propagandists’ confidence trick. Ukrainian children killed, or kidnapped and taken to Russia, are not mentioned. What a message omits is as important as what it says. So is timing.
Whenever tragedy happens in Russia, (for example, the attack on Krokus) Putin starts shouting about it being orchestrated by Ukraine long before the dust settles.
*You need to wait a bit, Vladimir, to pretend you’ve investigated.
Currently, his topic is the recent incursion by Ukrainian troops into the Kursk oblast. Putin is calling this “large-scale provocation;” more unintended irony from the real aggressor?
No doubt Kursk was chosen for its strategic convenience, being close to Ukraine’s border with Russia. But there’s hidden propaganda here too:
The name “Kursk” also resonates in Russia, with its ties to one of Putin’s great propaganda failures — he ignored this ill-fated submarine and continued his holiday. The city of Kursk was also the location of a famous Soviet World War II victory.
Whatever he calls it, and whatever the long-term result, it’s more top-class Ukrainian propaganda — “we are still not scared of you” is a strong message.
The Propaganda War— an update
Frankly, Ukraine is winning the propaganda war easily.
I find Russian propaganda and its trolls unsophisticated, but some people believe it. On 10 June 2024, the US and Poland started the Ukraine Communications Group, to counter Russian propaganda aimed at weakening international support for Ukraine. I wish them well.
There is, however, also a more sophisticated Russian propaganda scheme, which I only learned about today (24 August 2024). It sometimes happens that we learn something new and relevant after publishing our own work. Here are the details.
Propagandists and trolls don’t always foresee the consequences:
The Brexit story was troll bait for some time and had links to Russian oligarchs. The Leave campaign’s language was chosen for its emotive power (sovereignty, freedom, even a “new British Empire”).
Those behind this attempt at destabilisation didn’t think EU countries watching Britain’s fate might decide to stay in the Union.
And Russia’s “forever” in Kherson lasted four months.
Finally, if you want to help Ukraine:
There are many reputable organisations that will send donations to Ukraine. These include #ArmUkraineNow, which helps send weapons and other necessities to fight the war. Other trustworthy places to contribute are: Return Alive Foundation; United24; KSE Foundation; and #StandWithUkraine!
If you want to show your support, Reporting From Ukraine (RFU) and Denys Davydov, both on YouTube and Telegram, have some great-looking merch available. Treat yourself.
References
“The Ghost of Kyiv” Sylvia Wrigley, 6 May 2022 https://fearoflanding.com/demystifying/the-legend-of-the-ghost-of-kyiv/
Course materials from International Humanitarian Law in Theory and Practice, 2018, and Introduction to International Criminal Law 2019.
Open University Diploma in Language and Literacy (1998)
https://apnews.com/article/poland-us-ukraine-disinformation-war-1da53518252ce6a123f2fcf2cade6bd2
