Metanarrative Weaponization: Demystifying the Kremlin's Disinformation in Ukraine's War

• In Event: The Role of Ideology, Conspiracy Theories, and History Politics in Putin’s Russia 

Abstract

For over two decades, Russia and its citizens have been served a steady staple of
“disinformation borsht” that has constituted the majority of the population’s daily information
diet. The ingredients of this poisonous propaganda have finally accomplished their intended
effects. Not only has the “borsht” been spilled out globally, but the ingredients have become
toxic and deadly. The substantive essence of the mix is contained within the weaponized and
manipulated metanarratives that were mobilized at the onset of the war in Ukraine. In this
paper, we identify, discern, scrutinize, and demystify the key metanarratives employed by
Putin’s regime in pursuit of perceptional, cognitive, and behavioral changes in support of
popular mobilization that supports Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Authors

• Ilya Yablokov, U of Sheffield (UK)

• Kiril Avramov, U of Texas at Austin