As it is known, the Russian information machine has switched the attention of the private and European audiences to the events in Syria.
The war in Ukraine and annexation of Crimea is ignored and left behind.
In fact, in 2013 Russia itself raised the information storm regarding Ukraine, maintained a high degree of conflict for two years approximately and then suddenly switched the attention to Syria.
It is clearly visible that today there is much less talk in Russia about Ukraine than two years before.
If in 2014 August-September the 90% of news and analytical content was dedicated to the issues of Ukraine, today one may observe a tendency to oblivion.
Researches of the Information Resistance’s analytical section gave the following results (by topic):
Russia-Syria – 49%
Military power of Russia – 17%
Putin – 16%
Russia-NATO – 9%
Internal problems of Russia – 4%
Ukraine-Minsk agreements – 4%
Ukraine-Novorossiya – 1%
Thus the following pattern can be observed: meanwhile the reduction of attention to Ukraine an appearance of a separate information subject is noted – Novorossiya. This may prove the Kremlin’s interest in information support of the pro-Russian regimes in the occupied regions.
The figures of discussions on Russia’s military power and activities of the RF’s leader share approximately same results, which indicates the primary objectives of the Russian propaganda.
The pro-Russian audience’s interests in Ukrainian issues are artifically reduced (literally for 5-6 weeks) to the level of permanent problems inside Russia. Such an index may tell about the conversion of actual Ukrainian issues in the format of current events along with other neighboring countries of the RF.
As we previously reported, similar methods are used in the practice of information operations to disctract the global audience’s attention from the paramount issues by artifically creating a new newsbreak.The expectation is that in six months the occupied regions of Ukraine will no longer be referred to in the media in Europe or the United States. The passivity of the media will form a new picture of reality, as if the established hotbed of „sovereign democracy” suited to Ukraine.
Viacheslav Gusarov, Centre of Military-Political Studies (CMPS), expert of information security, Information Resistance (IR) section.
