Disinformation in the Russian invasion of Ukraine

As part of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian state and state-controlled media have spread disinformation in their information war against Ukraine. This disinformation has also been spread and promoted by so-called Russian web brigades, using fake profiles on social media. The Ukrainian state and media have used propaganda and deception as well, although their efforts have been more limited than the Russian disinformation campaign.

Russian propaganda and fake news stories have attacked Ukraine's nationhood and accused it of being a neo-Nazi state, committing genocide against Russian speakers, developing nuclear and biological weapons, and being influenced by Satanism. Russian propaganda falsely accuses NATO of controlling Ukraine and of threatening and provoking Russia. These claims have been widely rejected as untrue and crafted to justify the invasion and even to justify genocidal acts against Ukrainians. The Russian state has denied carrying out war crimes in Ukraine; Russian media and internet activists give false alibis for Russian forces, or falsely blame attacks on Ukrainian forces instead. Some of the disinformation seeks to undermine international support for Ukraine and to provoke hostility against Ukrainian refugees.

Russian disinformation has been pervasive and successful in Russia itself, due to censorship of war news and state control of most media. In the Western world, the far-right and far-left have been most accepting of Russian narratives, and Russia has collaborated with both far-right and far-left groups to spread disinformation. Ukraine's government said that Russian disinformation had influenced some in the US Trump administration. Because of its disinformation campaign and attempts to stoke division and unrest, Russian media has been restricted and its reputation has been tarnished in many European and developed countries. Russia has been more successful spreading disinformation in the Global South, particularly in the Sahel region of Africa, where Russia uses private military companies to support local regimes (see Wagner Group activities in Africa).

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