AGGRAVATING UNCERTAINTY – RUSSIAN INFORMATION WARFARE IN THE WEST
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/TIS.2020.005Keywords
Russian foreign policy, soft power, information operations, The West, NATO, EUAbstract
According to vast evidence material, Russia actively tries to influence the situation in Western societies by creating and aggravating uncertainty with the usage of weaponized information. It can be treated as an important part of Russian application of sharp power in the West. The purpose of the article is to explore the selected exemplifications of Russian activities and create a map of disruptive operations against the Western “hearts and minds”. The main scientific methods used in the study are desk research and content analysis. The employment of these methods is crucial to conduct the study of official Russian documents and identified cases of anti-Western information operations.References
Common Pro-Kremlin Disinformation Narratives. (2019). Retrieved February 8, 2020, from https://euvsdisinfo.eu/5-common-pro-kremlin-disinformation-narratives/
Aleksandrowicz, T. R. (2016). Podstawy walki informacyjnej, Warszawa: Editions-Spotkania.
Bell, C. (2018). No, BBC is not reporting the end of the world. Retrieved February 2, 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-43822718
Braw, E. (2019). Second Strike Communications. RUSI Newsbrief, 39(4).
Certainly Russian': Swedes Mock Reports of 'Suspected Sub' Spotted Off Coast. (2018). Retrieved August 2, 2019, from https://sputniknews.com/viral/201810261069230964-sweden-another-submarine-hunt/
Chen, A. (2015). The Agency. Retrieved February 8, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/07/magazine/the-agency.html
Chiesa, G. (2019), TACI! La NATO ti osserva. E si prepara. Retrieved February 8, 2020, from https://it.sputniknews.com/opinioni/201907157879995-taci-la-nato-ti-osserva-e-si-prepara/
Colleoni, E., Rozza, A., & Arvidsson, A. (2014). Echo Chamber or Public Sphere? Predicting Political Orientation and Measuring Political Homophily in Twitter Using Big Data. Journal of Communication, 64(2), 317-322. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcom.12084
Darczewska, J. (2014). The anatomy of Russian information warfare. The Crimean operation, a case study. Warsaw: Centre for Eastern Studies.
Darczewska, J. & Żochowski, P. (2017). Active Measures. Russia’s Key Export. Warsaw: Center for Eastern Studies.
Denaro russo per la Lega di Salvini: ecco gli audio dell'incontro a Mosca con Gianluca Savoini. (2019). Retrieved February 8, 2020, from https://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2019/07/10/news/russia_come_putin_ha_versato_milioni_di_dollari_alla_lega_di_salvini_-230866514/?refresh_ce
Deyermond, R. (2016). The Uses of Sovereignty in Twenty First First Century Russian Foreign Policy. Europe-Asia Studies, 68(6).
Doctrine of Information Security of the Russian Federation. (2016). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Retrieved February 4, 2020, from http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/official_documents/-/asset_publisher/CptICkB6BZ29/content/id/2563163
Ebner, J. (2019). Who are Europe’s far-right identitarians?, Retrieved February 8, 2020, from https://www.politico.eu/article/who-are-europe-far-right-identitarians-austria-generation-identity-martin-sellner/
Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation. (2016). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Retrieved February 4, 2020, from http://www.mid.ru/foreign_policy/official_documents/-/asset_publisher/CptICkB6BZ29/content/id/2542248
Freedman, L. (2018). Putin’s new Cold War. New Statesman, 16-22 March.
Gábor Vona had a lecture at Lomonosov University in Russia. (2018). Retrieved February 8, 2020, from https://www.jobbik.com/g%C3%A1bor_vona_had_lecture_lomonosov_university_russia
Giles, K. (2016). Handbook of Russian Information Warfare, Rome: NATO Defence College.
Goldsmith, J., & Rusell, S. (2018). Strengths Become Vulnerabilities. How Digital World Disadvantages the United States in Its International Relations. Aegis Series Paper No. 1806.
Götz, E. (2017). Putin, the State, and War: The Causes of Russia’s Near Abroad Assertion Revisited. International Studies Review, 19, 1-22.
Hardin, R. (2002). The Crippled Epistemology of Extremism. In A. Breton, G. Galeotti, P. Salmon, R. & Wintrobe (Eds.), Political Extremism and Rationality (pp. 3-22). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Heaton, J. (2012). What is secondary analysis? In J. Goodwin (Ed.), Secondary Data Analysis (pp. 1-20). London: Sage.
Horner, W. (2018). BBC forced to deny reporting outbreak of nuclear war after fake news clip goes viral. Retrieved February 9, 2020, from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/04/19/bbc-denies-reporting-outbreak-nuclear-war/
Houeix, R. (2017). Neuf millions d’euros: le prix du FN pour soutenir la diplomatie russe en Ukraine. Retrieved February 8, 2020, from https://www.france24.com/fr/20170502-neuf-millions-euros-prix-fn-soutenir-diplomatie-poutine-ukraine-mediapart-schaffhauser-russ
Johnson, M., & Ghiglione, D. (2018). Matteo Salvini praises Putin ahead of Russia trip. Retrieved February 8, 2020, from https://www.ft.com/content/5b3fc72e-8348-11e8-96dd-fa565ec55929
Keyes, R. (2004). The Post-Truth Era: Dishonesty and Deception in Contemporary Life. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Kragh, M., & Åsberg, S. (2017). Russia’s strategy for influence through public diplomacy and active measures: the Swedish case. Journal of Strategic Studies, 40(6), 773-816. https://doi.org/10.1080/01402390.2016.1273830
Kubyshkin, A., & Sergunin, A. (2015). The Problem of the “Special Path” in Russian Foreign Policy. Russian Social Science Review, 56(3), 31-42. https://doi.org/10.2753/RUP1061-1940500601
Laruelle, M. (2015). Dangerous Liaisons: Eurasianism, the European Far Right, and Putin’ Russia. In M. Laurelle (Ed.), Eurasianism and the European Far Right. Reshaping the Europe-Russia Relationship. London: Lexington.
Lulko, L. (2016). Russia has become the only defender of Christian values. Retrieved August 2, 2019, from http://www.pravdareport.com/russia/136246-russia_christian_values/
Kappes, A., Nussberger A., Siegel, J. Z., Rutledge, R.B., & Crockett, M.J. (2019). Social uncertainty is heterogeneous and sometimes valuable. Nature Human Bahaviour, 3(764). Retrieved March 29, 2020, from https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-019-0662-y#citeas
Man found guilty of abusing Russian-German teenager who fabricated rape story. (2017). Retrieved February 8, 2020, from http://www.dw.com/en/man-found-guilty-of-abusing-russian-german-teenager-who-fabricated-rape-story/a-39328894
Management Research Group. (2019). Retrieved February 8, 2020, from https://www.mrg.com/mrg-team/
Mathiot, C. (2018). Pourquoi un véhicule blindé de la gendarmerie arborait-il un drapeau européen samedi à Paris? Retrieved February 8, 2020, from https://www.liberation.fr/checknews/2018/12/09/pourquoi-un-vehicule-blinde-de-la-gendarmerie-arborait-il-un-drapeau-europeen-samedi-a-paris_1696961
Mautner, G. (2019). No Tears of Joy Shed Over Ursula’s Surprise Appointment. Retrieved February 8, 2020, from https://journal-neo.org/2019/07/07/no-tears-of-joy-shed-over-ursulas-surprise-appointment/
McGuiness, D. (2016). Russia steps into Berlin 'rape' storm claiming German cover-up. Retrieved February 8, 2020, from http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-eu-35413134
Michel, C. (2017). How Russia Became the Leader of the Global Christian Right. Retrieved February 8, 2020, from https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/02/how-russia-became-a-leader-of-the-worldwide-christian-right-214755
Mudde C. (2004). The populists Zeitgeist. Government and Opposition, 39(4).
Nalbandov, R. (2016). Not By Bread Alone. Russian Foreign Policy Under Putin. Lincoln: Potomac Books.
Non, l’Union européenne n’a pas envoyé de blindés aider Emmanuel Macron. (2018). Retrieved February 8, 2020, from https://www.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/article/2018/12/10/non-l-union-europeenne-n-a-pas-envoye-de-blindes-aider-emmanuel-macron_5395367_4355770.html?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1544457216
Nuclear Emergency Broadcast – Live Breaking News from London (fiction). (2016). Retrieved February 8, 2020, from https://archive.org/details/youtube_UCA9r2NNlWMitk1hhR7yj8SA/Nuclear+Attack+Emergency+Broadcast+-+Live+Breaking+News+from+London+(fiction)-2VZ3LGfSMhA.webm
Nye J. S. (2005). Soft Power. The Means of Success in World Politics. New York: PublicAffairs.
Pomerantsev, P. (2015). Inside the Kremlin’s hall of mirrors. Retrieved February 8, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/news/2015/apr/09/kremlin-hall-of-mirrors-military-information-psychology
Ponarin, E., & Komin, M. (2018). The Russian elite's imperial nationalism and the Russian society: The emergence of a grand consensus. Sociology Compass, 12(12), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12641
Rivera, D. W., & Werning Rivera, S. (2018). The Militarization of the Russian Elite under Putin. What We Know, What We Think We Know (but Don’t), and What We Need to Know. Problems of Post-Communism, 65(4).
Rutenberg, J. (2017). RT, Sputnik and Russia’s New Theory of War. Retrieved February 8, 2020, from https://nyti.ms/2eUIdrU
Schneider, M. B. (2018). Russian nuclear “de-escalation” of future war. Comparative Strategy, 37(5), 361-372. https://doi.org/10.1080/01495933.2018.1526558
Shekhovstov, A. (2018). Russia and the Western Far Right. Tango Noir. New York: Routledge.
Starbird, K. (2017). Information Wars: A Window into the Alternative Media Ecosystem. Retrieved February 8, 2020, from https://medium.com/hci-design-at-uw/information-wars-a-window-into-the-alternative-media-ecosystem-a1347f32fd8f
Świder, K. (2016). Geopolityka jako światopogląd władzy w Rosji. Teka Komisji Politologii i Stosunków Międzynarodowych, 11(3), 35-58.
Swiridow, L. (2019). Jastrzębia retoryka prezydenta Dudy będzie studzona przez USA. Retrieved February 8, 2020, from https://pl.sputniknews.com/opinie/2019061310552538-Polska-Rosja-Jastrzebia-retoryka-prezydenta-Dudy-bedzie-studzona-przez-USA-sputnik/
The "Lisa case": Germany as a target of Russian disinformation. (2016). Retrieved February 8, 2020, from https://www.nato.int/docu/review/2016/also-in-2016/lisa-case-germany-target-russian-disinformation/EN/index.htm
Torkunov, A. V. (2018). Great Eurasian Power in the Whirlwind of Change Russia’s Mission in the 20th Century. MGIMO Review of International Relations, 3(60), 7-15. 10.24833/2071-8160-2018-3-60-7-15
Tsygankov, A. P. (2018). The Sources of Russia fear of NATO. Communist and Post-Communist Studies, 51, 101-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postcomstud.2018.04.002
Walker, C. (2018). What is “Sharp Power”. Journal of Democracy, 29(3), 9-23. https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.2018.0041
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Stats
Number of views and downloads: 119
Number of citations: 0
