Russian Information Warfare Against Ukraine

By Kyrylo Sakhniuk Colonel, Ukraine National Guard

Russian irregular warfare against Ukraine is not new. However, since 2014, the Kremlin has successfully combined all ways and resources. The coherence and interaction of all elements, the dynamism and flexibility of their use, and the paramount importance of the information component, which is no less important for Russia’s leadership than the military, are unique.

Although Russian information warfare permeates all lines of effort aimed at achieving various objectives of irregular warfare, the primary effort is to destroy Ukrainian statehood by eroding Ukrainian culture, language, and identity. These efforts “are aimed at undermining Ukraine’s national stability, pro-democracy and pro-Western course of development and returning to Moscow’s political and economic influence.” (1)

Russian Information Operations

To better understand how Russian leadership uses information warfare tools, it is necessary to return to the origins of the so-called Gerasimov Doctrine. In 2013, the weekly Russian newspaper Military-Industrial Courier “published” The Importance of Science in Prediction. New Challenges Require Rethinking the Forms and Methods of Warfare“, written by the recently appointed Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation Armed Forces, General Valery Gerasimov.(2) The content of this report was not widespread at the time but since has been widely discussed.

Therein, Gerasimov summarizes the backwardness...