Russian Propaganda- an important element of Putin’s Hybrid War

 

 

By Alan Malcher.

 

Former NATO Secretary General and ex-Prime Minister of Denmark, Anders Fogh Ramussen, told Newsweek (15 April 2015) Russia was engaging in a Hybrid War. Ramussen warned that, “Russia has adopted this approach and it is a mix of very well-known conventional warfare, and new, more sophisticated propaganda and disinformation campaigns including efforts to influence public opinion through financial links with political parties within NATO and engagement in NGO’s…”

As the world’s media concentrates on Russia’s bared teeth of conventional war- stories of Russia’s nuclear weapons, military incursion into NATO airspace’s, provocative muscle flexing through their land and sea exercises; Russia’s ongoing propaganda element of their ‘Hybrid’ war is seldom reported.

Silencing independent voices

Kremlin controlled radio, television and the printed press remain dominant players in Russian life, they greatly shape public opinion and are used to reinforce resentment of the west – all socioeconomic problems are down to NATO and the western nations, not Russia’s failed oligarchical political system.

The Sputnik News Channel which is used to spread Russian propaganda has begun recruiting Estonian journalists, and the state owned RIA Novosti along with the Kremlin’s international radio station, Voice of Russia, has been replaced by Russia Today. It has been widely suggested that the restructuring of Russia’s television and radio networks is linked to their coverage of the anti-Putin protests in 2012, and concerns that Russian journalists support Putin’s opposition.

According to Putin, Russia Today will broadcast to foreign audiences information about“Russian Federation State policy and public life in Russia”

Like the Soviet era, Russian media is once again owned by the state and all communications are shaped according to Putin’s political agenda through editors and journalists loyal to the Kremlin.  For instance, the Chief Editor of Russia Today, Demistry Kiseiyou, previously displayed his loyalty to the Putin oligarchy by saying on live television, “Russia is the only country that can turn the United States into radioactive ashes”

Apart from controlling all news services throughout Russia the Kremlin has also been quick to recognize and fully utilize the power of social media to win over young Russians.

VK, which was originally named VKontake, is the largest Russian social network and is available in 17 languages. Launched in 2003, by 2006 it had a revenue in excess of $(US) 121.4 million and by 2012 had over 209 million users. Once owned by Maluru.org, this popular social network for users living in Eastern Europe is now owned and controlled by the Kremlin.

Long before VT started to be used as a propaganda and recruiting tool by the Kremlin, this network had always been popular among Russia’s Neo-Nazi movements, who now encourage members of Russia’s armed forces to join their social networks. Here they openly share their political views based on patriotism, expansionism and Nazi ideology.

Apart from constant streams of violent Nazi rhetoric based on Russian nationalism, hatred of Jews, and promoting Russia’s glorious past, many of the account holders who regularly contribute to these pages are either fighting in Ukraine or have recently returned from the conflict. For instance, Arseny Sergeyevich Pavlow, also known as ‘Motorola’, a platoon commander of the Sparta Battalion, is a regular contributor.

After a cursory examination of VT we find many so-called ‘Freedom Fighters’ discussing their combat experiences in Ukraine and posting graphic images of their activities. As many of these combatants say they are not serving in the Russian Army and admit to being Russian citizens they can only be regarded as mercenaries.  Since the start of the Proxy war against Ukraine there has been a dramatic increase in the number of account holders living in Russia.

 

Putin the ‘Great’- imagery of aggressive muscularity and strong leadership

 

Putin and the Russian controlled media take every opportunity to show him as a masculine, aggressive, no-nonsense, strong leader. Although such imagery is widely seen as humorous in the west, his deliberate poses and photoshoots continue to go down well with his supporters, especially the military and Neo-Nazis. Such images will be found on VT, Facebook, Twitter and other social media networks, alongside comments about his strength of leadership and capabilities of restoring the Russian Empire.

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