The Russian authorities’s misinformation marketing campaign in regards to the struggle in Ukraine began earlier than the primary pictures have been fired. Kremlin information sources initially denied plans to invade Ukraine, regardless of unprecedented army buildup alongside the border, then denied it was at struggle after the invasion started.

Within the weeks to observe, Russian state media has continued to wage an data struggle on-line and throughout the airwaves to justify what it has described as a “particular army operation” towards its neighbor.

Worldwide journalists have been compelled to flee areas underneath heavy bombardment because the struggle intensifies. Photographers for the Related Press report being focused by Russian forces in Mariupol earlier than narrowly escaping with the help of Ukrainian troopers. With out reviews and photographs of the devastation from unbiased journalists on the bottom, disinformation fills the void.

Russian residents have largely been lower off from personal media and social media, together with Fb, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The Russian authorities, nonetheless, is leveraging those self same platforms to disseminate disinformation exterior the nation.

In GeoPoll’s research in early March 2022 on the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, 73% of Ukrainians mentioned they’ve seen the Russian authorities’s misinformation campaigns.

These respondents have been then requested to explain the misinformation campaigns they’d seen. This publish particulars the open-ended responses to that query.

Russian Misinformation Marketing campaign Messages

The first message or focus of the Russian misinformation campaigns described by respondents in Ukraine will be sorted into the next 12 themes. The numbers within the chart point out what number of occasions every theme was talked about.

Respondents’ descriptions illustrate a concerted effort by the Russian authorities to distort actuality and decrease Ukrainian morale:

• Ukraine has surrendered: Probably the most frequent message cited by respondents informs Ukrainian residents that President Zelensky has surrendered and advises them to put down their weapons.
• Russian army success: Respondents describe fabrications detailing the Russian army’s overwhelming victories on the battlefield, capturing all the most important Ukrainian cities with out struggling any losses of troopers or gear.
• No civilian casualties: Russian campaigns insist that the army just isn’t bombing cities and has not precipitated any civilian casualties.
• Russia is liberating Ukraine: Russia justifies what it labels a “particular army operation” as an effort to liberate and shield Ukraine from nationalists and Neo-Nazis.
• President fled: Regardless of President Zelensky’s frequent appearances on social media and the information, Russian campaigns declare he has fled Ukraine.
• Neo-Nazism: Russian media describes its adversary not because the nation of Ukraine, however as Neo-Nazis, fascists, nationalists, Banderites, saboteurs, and drug addicts which have taken over the federal government.
• Ukraine attacking itself: Frequent messages declare that Ukraine is at struggle with itself and that the corrupt authorities is bombing its personal cities and residents.
• No invasion: Russia denies that it’s at struggle or invading Ukraine (and forbids Russian media from utilizing these phrases), however as a substitute is conducting a particular army operation to liberate the individuals of Ukraine.
• Cities captured: Respondents describe reviews from the battlefield that declare the seize and give up of all main Ukrainian cities, together with Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson.
• Russia is there to assist – humanitarian support: The siege of Kherson is depicted within the Russian media as a humanitarian effort by Russian forces to distribute humanitarian support and provides.
• Russian military welcomed: Respondents describe a marketing campaign exhibiting Ukrainian residents welcoming Russian troopers with flowers and celebrations.
• Ukraine attacked first: Because the struggle started, Russia media falsely claimed that Ukraine attacked first (in separatist areas), and Russia was compelled to reply to the Ukrainian aggression.

Most of the misinformation campaigns described by respondents try to justify Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Others attempt to confuse Ukrainian troopers and residents and undermine their will to battle.

To date, a lot of the Ukrainian respondents in our research acknowledge the Russian misinformation campaigns for what they’re. As the data struggle intensifies and the bombardment of falsehoods continues, nonetheless, separating truth from fiction could grow to be tougher.

Interactive Information Dashboard

To dive deeper into GeoPoll’s information on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, click on right here to entry the report and interactive dashboard. The dashboard supplies responses to every query within the survey, filterable by area, age group, and gender.

Conduct Analysis in Ukraine

GeoPoll has in depth expertise conducting analysis in susceptible areas by means of distant mobile-based methodologies. In occasions when it’s in any other case not possible to get data from individuals on the bottom, distant information assortment can play a pivotal function in capturing the sentiment and realities in hard-to-reach areas.

GeoPoll is continuous ongoing information assortment in Ukraine to make clear the state of affairs and help within the concentrating on of humanitarian aid.

To study extra about GeoPoll’s capabilities in Ukraine and around the globe, please contact us.