OPINION

“Don’t become a vegetable!”

Ukrainian researcher Oksana Moroz told me that’s her warning to both her countrymen and to the West. Russian information warfare creates people who are so confused and overwhelmed by the flood of disinformation that they become passive.

In other words, they become vegetables.

The heavy reliance on social media for news consumption is a critical vulnerability for Ukraine and the West, Moroz told me. About 62% of Ukrainians derive all their news from social networks, she states.

“Regrettably, this forms a prolific breeding ground for Russia to disseminate disinformation that simultaneously benefits Russia and undermines Ukraine,” she told me.

Russia’s strategy in Ukraine leverages social media to weaken Ukrainian resolve, a tactic that, until recently, faced little opposition and bore no repercussions for Russia. Often, the targets of these malevolent attacks remain oblivious to the fact that they are under assault.

In response, Moroz has developed online educational materials, which have reached nearly 9 million Ukrainians to date. Enlightening the victims of Russian disinformation may empower them to counteract and resist, she said.

Morzoz described several information warfare tactics the Russians use, including:

1. Social Media Monitoring: “Russian specialists closely monitor social media to identify the most discussed and controversial topics within Ukraine.”

2. Identification of Contentious Issues: “Once they identify potential flashpoints, the Russians focus their propaganda efforts on amplifying existing tensions or creating new controversies.”

3. Rumor Mill Construction: “Propagandists craft rumors designed to inflame discussions. Their goal is deepening societal divisions.”

4. Indiscriminate support for All Sides: “The Russians deploy bots to support all sides of a given discussion simultaneously. This tactic results in encouraging chaos and confusion.”

5. Dissemination of False Information: “The Russian information warriors strategically inject fake news into social media conversations. They’re deliberately exaggerating the scale of existing problems. The goal is to get people riled up.”

Having spent years studying Russian propaganda, she’s seen that their efforts focus on three main themes: a betrayal narrative, corruption allegations and leadership discreditation.

1. A Betrayal Narrative. Betrayal is aimed specifically at Ukraine. If you follow Ukrainian social media, you can find it anywhere. “The information you come across strongly asserts that the West has betrayed Ukraine, claiming that Ukraine is unwanted and support will not be forthcoming.”

2. Corruption Allegations: “The information warriors do all they can to make everyone believe that Ukraine is a hotbed of corruption. They want people to decide that providing assistance is useless because it will end up in the hands of corrupt oligarchs.”

3. Discrediting Leadership: “The Russians use social media to undermine the reputation of Ukraine's military and political leadership. They’re constantly working to erode public trust in their capabilities.”

The last two points are aimed at the West. “If you come across social media that encourages you to believe any or all of the following, remember, this is what Russian trolls are assigned to get you to believe,” she told me.

Moroz notes that these information warfare efforts spill out beyond Ukraine’s borders. “These themes often find their way into foreign media coverage, sometimes unwittingly perpetuating Russia’s narrative.” A New York Times article on Nazi symbolism within the Ukrainian armed forces inadvertently picked up on a Russian narrative.”

How can a country defend itself against Russia’s current subtle but pervasive manipulation that it has mastered?

For Moroz, one of the most important approaches is to recognize that Ukraine’s best defense is an offense. She wants Ukraine and the West to “disseminate counter-narratives that expose the manipulative tactics of Russian propaganda. We need to help inoculate the public.”

Mitzi Perdue is a businesswoman, author, and anti-human trafficking advocate. She holds a bachelor of arts degree, with honors, from Harvard University and a master's degree from George Washington University. She is a past president of American Agri-Women, and was a U.S. delegate to the UN Conference on Women in Nairobi. Currently, she hosts "The Pen and the Planet" on EarthxTV. Mitzi founded the anti-trafficking organization, Win This Fight.