2022-03-25 06:33:27
Understanding Russian Propaganda in Eastern Europe
A RAND Corporation study examined Russian-language content on social media and the broader propaganda threat posed to the region of former Soviet states that include Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, and, to a lesser extent, Moldova and Belarus.
Key findings:
In the Baltics, Ukraine, and other nearby states,
the Kremlin aims to drive wedges between ethnic Russian or Russian-speaking populations and their host governments, NATO, and the European Union
Farther abroad, the Kremlin attempts to achieve policy paralysis by
sowing confusion, stoking fears, and eroding trust in Western and democratic institutions
RAND identified a
Russian activist community on Twitter that consists of
approximately 41,000 users who both consume and disseminate anti-Ukraine, pro-Russia propaganda
An opposing
Ukrainian activist Twitter community also exists and consists of
nearly 39,000 users spreading pro-Ukraine, anti-Russia content
The high presence of Russian-language populations in the region who descend from Soviet-era migrants and whose host countries have refused them citizenship
gives Russia a sympathetic audience
Government policies prioritizing national languages have
limited government outreach via the Russian language
Russian broadcast media dominate in the region. Ukraine, however, has censored Russian government broadcasting and a popular Russian social media platform
Social media activists, websites, news sources, and others actively disseminate their own pro-Russia propaganda content
without obvious direct support from the Russian state
Our community strongly suggests to check out the report to understand how
Putin's Information Warfare of USSR 2.0 works.
USSR 2.0
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