EVOLUTION OF KREMLIN’S PROPAGANDA NARRATIVES DURING RUSSIA’S FULL-SCALE AGGRESSION AGAINST UKRAINE: AN ATTEMPT AT ANALYSIS

Abstract

Along with the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine’s sovereign territory, Russia launched a new phase of aggressive information warfare against our state, aiming for complete destabilization of the internal situation, spreading total panic and despair, which was intended to lead to the paralysis of the entire state system and its institutions and facilitate the occupation of Ukrainian lands. Kremlin propagandists actively began spreading already familiar narratives about the West-supported Nazis who seized power in Ukraine through a coup, 8 years of ruthless extermination of Donbas residents who opposed the anti-Russian and usurping authorities in Kyiv. These narratives were launched with renewed force to justify the full-scale military invasion of an independent state’s territory. As Russia failed to conduct a swift and victorious invasion and the war against Ukraine transitioned into a prolonged armed conflict phase, Russian narratives took on new forms. They increasingly targeted not only Ukraine but also its allies and aimed to undermine international support. The article attempts to analyze Russian propaganda narratives against Ukraine and their evolution during the full-scale invasion of 2022–2024.