An overview of the evolution of views on Russian strategic culture: from Jack Snyder, Colin S. Gray, and Fritz Ermarth to contemporary studies on the "besieged fortress", the imperial code, and the war for consciousness — reflective governance, semantic looting, and sharp power.Читати українською

Last week, Russian propagandists tried to take full advantage of the capture of Avdiivka. Among other things, they reported on shocking “discoveries” of secret torture chambers allegedly used to hold Zelensky’s political opponents.Читати українською The Russian Ministry of Defense also claimed that the AFU was planning to build a “chemical defensive perimeter” and had already purchased the necessary components from Western partners that endorse such methods of warfare. Meanwhile, the disinformers have redoubled their efforts to expose US and British agents in mother Russia.

At a crucial juncture, as aid for Ukraine encountered obstacles in the U.S. Congress, we have compiled a selection of materials published on Texty.org.ua and translated into English. This compilation is designed to assist activists who are writing letters to American congressmen, providing them with compelling arguments for continued support of Ukraine.These articles, released during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian military, explain the essence of this war. They describe the challenges faced by the Ukrainian nation, which has become a target for its neighboring country, a nation ten times its size, governed by a dictatorship and propaganda. This collection serves as an essential resource for understanding the complexities and realities of the conflict, aiding those who advocate for Ukraine's cause on the international stage.Read this article in Ukrainian

Last week, there was a lot speculation on Russian media about who was behind the poisoning of the wife of the Chief of the Main Directorate of Intelligence Kyrylo Budanov. Long story short, it could be anyone except Russia: the suspects included Zelensky, Zaluzhny and Western intelligence services.

Last week's publications on Russian media hardly mentioned the war in Ukraine. Instead, the propagandists sang praises to Putin for brokering the release of a Russian hostage held by HAMAS.Read this article in Ukrainian

Last week, Russian media reported that Russian army had been able to break the Ukrainian defenses and enter Adviivka. According to the propagandists, the Kyiv regime is sending 16-years-olds and women with serious illnesses and health conditions into the trenches. They tried to turn Ukrainians against each other by claiming that it was only the frontline cities that were taking the toll of war while the life in Kyiv and other regions was full of excess and extravagance.

Last week, Russian media insisted on a bitter feud between the military and political leadership of Ukraine. The disinformers speculated that Zelensky would soon be killed or replaced by Valery Zaluzhny as Washington’s new protege. We found more than 1,000 such stories which propelled the topic to the week's Top 15 on Russian news.Read this article in Ukrainian

Why is the death of 300,000 Russians in a war of aggression not a reason for the people to demand from their government to stop the "special operation"? What does need to happen for this to change? What is in their minds? The author, who is looking for answers to these questions, knows the Russian hinterland from his own experience, and is currently monitoring interviews with Russian prisoners and their communication with relatives.Читати українською

Period: 30 October-5 November 2023. Last week, Russian media showed considerably less interest in the military operations in Ukraine than usual which may be due to the lack of Russian victories in Ukraine or the kick-off of Putin's election campaign.

Last week, Russian media tried hard convince their readership that Ukraine was supplying weapons to HAMAS. The narrative that Ukraine is selling Western aid, which has been circulating Russian media since the beginning of the full-scale war, is to make the West turn away from Ukraine. The propagandists kept ridiculing the prime minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan: Russian media seem to agree that he is an American political project.