How to spot Russian Psyops at work

Russia’s war against Ukraine is not only being fought on the battlefield. It’s also being fought on social media as most people know.

Russia has used social media, forged documents, and fake videos to spread lies, manipulate public opinion and push its narratives about the war.

The ultimate goal is to convince the world not to support Ukraine.

In one instance, Russia impersonated a popular online European newspaper.

Russian hackers posted fake news stories on social media that appeared to be from the newspaper.

This strategy is nothing new.

Since Russia annexed Crimea back in 2014, they have been conducting these types of operations.

But with Ukraine, they have spread outrageous stories such as Ukraine being run by Nazis, and that the U.S. is helping them.

Russia even created a documentary about this that was supported by the state-run broadcast company.

The lies from the Kremlin are endless. They have run media campaigns that claim Ukraine’s government is made up of terrorists.

They have also said that Ukraine is selling the weapons they receive from the U.S. and other allies.

Part of Russia’s plans is to confuse the outside world and create doubt about the legitimacy of Ukraine.

One cyber security expert said Russian online operations have, "used a throw-the-spaghetti-at-the-wall-to-see-what-sticks kind of approach."

  In other words, Russia is playing a numbers game with the lies they are spreading. They have put out so much false information that it creates doubt around the world.

Specifically, the lies shared by Russia have gained popularity in Africa and Latin America.

According to one security expert, "There's been a major focus on non-English-language information."

Russia is wanting to influence the world's view of the invasion, while at the same time they are positioning the country with an eye toward strategic partners for the future.

Social media companies have tried to remove or prevent Russian propaganda.

Unfortunately, there is so much out there already, and more popping up all the time, that they can’t stop it all.

But these tactics are just a small part of their larger, global psyops plan.

What is psyops?:

“Psyops” are strategic psychological operations. These operations are intended to influence the emotions and behavior of governments and individuals.

The strategy is to spread disinformation and encourage discontent.

For instance, Russia has tried to spread lies in the U.S. that would lessen U.S. support for Ukraine.

They want U.S. lawmakers and citizens to be divided when it comes to Ukraine.