Russian propagandists are continuing the active phase of the
Perun information operation aimed at destabilizing the political situation in
Ukraine and Western countries, as well as “creating conditions for solving the
tasks” of the so-called Special Military Operation (SVO), Ukraine’s Main
Intelligence Directorate (HUR) reported on Telegram
on March 13.
The operation, which involves the Russian National Guard (Rosgvardia) and the GRU military intelligence service, is being conducted in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and in most regions of the Russian Federation.
The Kremlin’s propaganda agenda includes:
- Discrediting Ukrainian and Western pro-Ukrainian politicians by accusing them of corruption and “betraying” Ukraine’s interests
- Justifying Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and reporting on the situation from a position favorable to the Kremlin
- Spreading disinformation in the media about the alleged “normalization of life” in the occupied Ukrainian territories
- Creating an image of “Ukrainian Nazis” in the Russian and European media, etc.
The Russian special services are instructed to use both existing and new fake narratives in the first half of 2024 to describe events in Ukraine, including allegations of a “coup d’état” in Kyiv, Ukrainian involvement in hostilities in Donbas, the mass murder of pro-Russian activists in Odesa, and so on.
The peak of the campaign is planned for the day of the Russian sham presidential election, with Operation Perun expected to be completed by June 30.