Tracking Russian propaganda on the war in Ukraine

February 28, 2022 — JORDY NIJENHUIS

 

It was only a matter of time before Russian propaganda campaigns appeared on social media after the conflict between Russia and Ukraine heated up. Initially most of the content that was being shared consisted of videos and photos reporting on the situation on the ground. Some of these videos and photos were based on rumours, taken out of context, mislabeled, or reused from previous conflicts. Immediately following this surge in misinformation and disinformation, broader narratives started to unfold. In this article we’ll focus on the broader narratives. 

These narratives have been pushed into the European Union by anonymous, troll and bot accounts on social media. It is likely that these accounts have been deployed in a Russian coordinated action, or that these accounts previously have been influenced by disinformation campaigns, turning them into amplifier accounts. We make this assumption based on their modus operandi, previous activity and follower networks. It is important to mention that we don’t have definitive proof that these are Russian accounts, further research could investigate this more closely.

Here are the Russian propaganda narratives we identified in the first 5 days of the war:


Pro-Russia Narratives

Russia is protecting Ukraine

  • This narrative is mirroring the official line taken by the Kremlin; Russia is engaged in a special military operation to bring peace in Ukraine. Russian troops in Ukraine are not part of an invasion.

Russia is protecting minority groups

  • According to this narrative Russian forces are tasked to protect the Ukrainian population —Russian minority groups specifically— from harm done by the Ukrainian regime. Russia was forced to take action in Ukraine based on humanitarian reasons.

Putin is doing this for Ukraine’s own interest

  • This narrative paints a picture of Putin as the protector of Slavic interests. Putin is not interested in expanding his territory, and influence, or restoring the Soviet Union to their former glory. He is doing this out of the goodness of his heart because he wants to see Ukraine thrive.

Ukrainians are welcoming Russian forces

  • According to this narrative a successful military operation is being run by Russia without any major resistance. The Ukrainian population is welcoming Russian troops, and applauding their presence.


Anti-Ukraine Narratives

Ukraine has no right to be a country

  • A narrative based on a one sided interpretation of history in which the historical ties between Ukraine and Russia are highlighted. Ukraine belongs to the Russian empire and never had any historical rights to become an independent country. Ukraine never was a sovereign state and will never become one.

Ukraine is a failed state

  • Democracy never functioned in Ukraine according to this narrative. Ukraine has become a satellite state of ‘the West’ and elections were never fair. Corruption has reached all levels of the Ukrainian government, the mafia has infiltrated Ukrainian leadership, they are drug users, crooks, and criminals.

Ukraine is ruled by a Nazi regime engaged in genocide

  • This is the official narrative of the Kremlin, in which the Ukrainian regime is engaged in, or planning to commit a genocide on the Russian speaking population. The Ukrainian leadership consists of power-hungry nazis. Denazification is needed.

The Azov Bataljon is proof

  • The Azov Bataljon is a right-wing extremist group, associated with neo-nazi ideologies. It was founded in 2014 to protect the Ukrainian city of Mariupol from a Russian invasion. The existence of this problematic group is used to sell the idea that Ukraine is in fact a neo-nazi regime and that both NATO and the EU are supporting neo-nazis. An old photo dating from 2014 in which the group is seen waving a NATO flag alongside a nazi flag (which might have been added digitally) is often used as proof. It is important to note that in 2014 the Bataljon started as a volunteer organisation, and that they have been incorporated into the national guard at a later stage which led to stricter rules for membership.


Narratives on NATO

NATO is surrounding Russia

  • According to this narrative, NATO is created to humiliate Russia. The expansion of NATO is proof of this. NATO’s only goal is to surround and dominate Russia. Any expansion towards the East is seen as an act of aggression. Ukraine’s intention to join NATO is reason enough to start a war in order to protect Russia.

If you poke a bear he will attack

  • This narrative is a fan favourite of many far-right groups and commentators. NATO is portrayed as the aggressor, constantly poking and annoying Russia. Therefore it is only natural for Russia to respond with violence.

Ukraine military are hired troops paid for and trained by the CIA

  • The Ukrainian army is fictitious according to this narrative. Military staff in Ukraine are hired troops who work for the CIA in order to fight a proxy war with Russia. The United States is in control and making all the decisions.

NATO wants a big war because they are owned by the military-industrial complex

  • NATO is, again, portrayed as the aggressor in this narrative. NATO doesn’t really care about Ukraine, expansion or democracy. They started this war in order for the military-industrial complex to make money. After the conflicts in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan they needed a new battleground to sell their weapons.

Narratives on the EU

EU is decadent

  • The EU is a decadent regime according to this narrative. They will destroy Slavic, Christian and family based traditions and establish a culture of multiculturalism, LGBTQ+ rights, and friendly to the Islam. Putin is the only person who is able to prevent this from happening.

EU is part of an agenda to control the world (WEF/QAnon/the Great Reset)

  • A conspiracy theory actively amplified by QAnon communities. The EU needs a new crisis to continue with the WEF (World Economic Forum) agenda, the great reset and the taking away of civil liberties after the covid pandemic. Expansion of the EU is again forced upon us in Ukraine.

A special word on Whataboutisms

On social media there are a lot of Whataboutisms (a logical fallacy, which attempts to discredit an opponent's position by charging hypocrisy without directly refuting or disproving the argument) floating around on the Ukrainian conflict. NATO’s involvement in the Yugoslav Wars, the conflicts in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, and the Cuban missile crisis are all used to dissuade people from taking a stance. Whataboutism was a propaganda technique used by the Soviet Union and is now being used again. It is important to remember that every conflict is different, that two wrongs don’t make a right, and that it is also possible to both be against the war in Ukraine and the bombing of Yemen. Whataboutisms are generally used to muddy the water, not to advocate for action in other conflicts.


The war in Ukraine is a very fluid situation, so we can expect these narratives to change over time. For now it is important to refrain from amplifying these narratives and to debunk them when needed. These narratives are planted on social media with the expectation that people will engage with them, and they hope that they will be shared widely. By giving you these quick insights we hope you recognise these narratives when you encounter them, and to prevent any further damage.

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