Ukraine Crisis Media Center

Nowadays, technologies and practices of "soft power" are gaining increasing significance. On a global scale, an intense cognitive war is underway. Its battles unfold in news feeds and social media. Today, Russia is making significant efforts to ensure hybrid informational influence in various regions of the world. Putin's regime does not spare resources on Russia's "soft power." Moscow instrumentalizes culture, history, media, and civil organizations to shape the perceptions of audiences in distant countries. The goal of such influence is to whitewash Russia's image, tarnished by its genocidal war against Ukraine and the destruction of international law caused by the Kremlin's actions. Therefore, the Hybrid Warfare Analytical Group has prepared several examples of global tools of Russian "soft power."

Tucker Carlson returns to Moscow to interview Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. His previous visit gave Putin a platform to justify the invasion of Ukraine, portraying Russia as the eternal victim. Now, Lavrov takes center stage to amplify fears of a looming nuclear war, blaming the West for the instability currently seen in the world. In this piece for Ukraine Crisis Media Center, I analyse how Carlson continues to manipulate these narratives for media-driven algorithmic success, more personal gain, and, probably, a fat wad of cash from the Kremlin.

Is Russia Losing Syria? - Co-authored by Volodymyr Solovian and me, looking at pro-Kremlin telegram channel chatter around the "rebel" offensives in Syria, Moscow’s diminishing role in the region, and the implications for Assad’s regime and the Kremlin’s influence moving forward. .... Syria has long been Russia’s key foothold in the Middle East, with Assad’s regime relying heavily on Moscow’s military support since 2015. In return, Russia has reaped strategic rewards, such as the Tartus naval base—its only access to the Mediterranean Sea. However, with Russia bogged down in Ukraine, the recent uprising in Syria has exposed vulnerabilities in its Middle East strategy and highlighted its apparent inability to fully support Assad. This has left Kremlin propaganda pivoting to portray a “multifaceted” enemy in Syria, blaming NATO, Ukraine, Israel, Turkey, and even Russia's ally, Iran, for the conflict’s escalation.

Our analysts from UCMC's Hybrid Warfare Analytical Unit have compiled a weekly report highlighting key Russian propaganda and disinformation narratives from the past week. Topics include: *Oreshnik in Main Headlines *Has Putin Inadvertently Debunked his Own Fake Concerning the Kinzhal's speed? *Ukraine’s Parliament Falls for Nuclear Threats, Again *Syria. Has Russia Lost the Middle East? *Ruble Nosedive

Here is my latest article for Ukraine Crisis Media Center - S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: A Video Game Symbolizing Ukraine’s Resilience. This text explains how a game became a powerful instrument in debunking Russian imperialist myths about Ukraine and Russia being “one nation”. It also touches on the topic of cultural oppression, that Russia systematically enacted against Ukraine.

My new text for Ukraine Crisis Media Center, this time on the topic of ecocide that Russia is committing in Ukraine

Matthew Wickham on Russia's "Oreshnik" missile and the Russian propaganda that followed... Russia’s November 21 strike, using the RS-26 Rubezh, now known as "Oreshnik" serves as a psychological instrument aimed at instilling fear and signalling yet more Kremlin escalation in the war. While its military impact is limited (for now), the strike reinforces Russia’s nuclear sabre-rattling and propaganda efforts, raising concerns over global safety and potential shifts in the West’s response to the war.

Written for Ukraine Crisis Media Center, my take on Russia's "Oreshnik" missile and the Russian propaganda that followed... Russia’s November 21 strike, using the RS-26 Rubezh, now known as "Oreshnik" serves as a psychological instrument aimed at instilling fear and signalling yet more Kremlin escalation in the war. While its military impact is limited (for now), the strike reinforces Russia’s nuclear sabre-rattling and propaganda efforts, raising concerns over global safety and potential shifts in the West’s response to the war.

Our disinformation analyst, Matthew Wickham, reflects on how the Kremlin and it's propagandists have reacted predictably to the U.S.'s decision to finally allow Ukraine to strike into Russia, amplifying fears of World War III and invoking apocalyptic narratives to frame the West as provocateurs. This overblown response serves to deflect attention from the Kremlin’s repeated escalations, justify symbolic retaliations, and appease propagandists calling for a show of strength. Watch here on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/dj7kfQ-M

Our analysts Volodymyr Solovian and Viktoriia Odusanvo explore in this article how RT Academy represents a danger to independent journalism and global information integrity as it spreads into more countries. By masquerading as legitimate training, it will infiltrate international media, spreading disinformation and advancing narratives aligned with the Kremlin's geopolitical ambitions. This analysis explores the methods behind its operations and the implications for the future.