The Role of Influence Operations in Dealing with a Stronger Adversary: an Analysis of the Preoccupation of Crimea and the Preparatory Periods for the Russian Intervention in Ukraine in 2022
Abstract
Russian active operations in the information environment (OIE) against Ukraine in 2014 and 2022, which preceded military interventions, demonstrated the importance of dominating in the information space in 21stcentury conflicts. In 2014, to maintain the image of the ruling regime for the domestic audience and to manifest victory, the Kremlin targeted the Crimean Peninsula and the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in aggressive Russian operations. The success of the information operations in those regions was significantly conditioned by the publics vulnerability to narratives spread by the Kremlin. In 2022, Russia attempted to achieve its goal using the OIE and massive military strikes in tandem but failed. Comparing the content of the OIEs produced by Russia in 2014 and 2022 and analyzing the results of Russian aggression, this thesis shows that civil unity and the military-political structures will to fight act in tandem and strengthen each others resilience. The success of the adversary's operations in the information environment is significantly conditioned by the fragmentation and political polarization of the target society, which contributes to the implementation of the aggressors military-political tasks. Therefore, this thesis makes recommendations on how to combat an adversary's aggression by strengthening the resilience of the target society through purposeful planning of OIE activities implemented by government and non-governmental institutions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1213151
Entities
People
- George Chkhikvadze
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School