Ukrainian political scientist, publicist, and information warfare expert Alexei Arestovich (who, by the way, is still actively working for the propaganda of his country) once told a story in one of his lectures, which took place in 2015 in Cologne. A group of “Arab refugees” came to that German city, who behaved indecently with German women. They did not beat or rape them. Just, for lack of a better word, “touched them.”
After a few days of doing so, the migrants left the city. It turned out that it was part of a multi-step combination of the Russian Federal Security Service. The goals were various, but the key was to discredit Germany and its government. The propaganda was going in the following direction: Europe is old and paralyzed, Europeans have lost their minds with their liberal values, they can not protect their wives and daughters, neither the police nor the German men whose wives are raped in front of their eyes are able to do so, they do not say anything, etc.
Such comments were initially spread on social networks by FSB trolls, and then by ordinary users in Russia, Germany and around the world. And the long-term goal was connected with the discussions in the EU, during which it was decided to reduce the sanctions against Russia or to leave it the same. Some Eastern European countries, such as Slovakia or Hungary, could be in favor of easing sanctions because they were unhappy with the migration crisis and Germany, the EU’s first violinist.
I present this example in so much detail to show how propaganda works. A true or semi-true fact is taken or invented and its supposedly natural discussion begins on social networks. It is often reacted to by the normal media, and it does not matter whether the latter agree or disagree with the allegations circulating on social networks. The important thing is the circulation of these statements. All special services in the world today conduct such operations, and how they are conducted depends on the budget and professionalism of those services.
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In such cases, it is almost impossible to know the truth. Especially in the presence of hostilities. For example, the West has accused the Syrian government of using chemical weapons. Bashar al-Assad and Russia have denied the allegations. Any phenomenon that one of the parties presents as “indisputable evidence” is considered by the other party to be false, fabricated and staged.
A tragedy took place in the Kyiv region during this Russian-Ukrainian war. This is exactly what polarized comments are about. I look at our Armenian Facebook page and see how passionately my compatriots argue and how those who are influenced by Russian or Ukrainian (Western) propaganda insult each other by calling each other “brainwashed” and “zombies.”
One thing, however, is obvious and indisputable. Russia started the war. The army of that country has invaded the territory of a neighboring country, and therefore the Russian leadership is ultimately responsible for the casualties and destruction.
Aram Abrahamyan
