David Kirichenko
Since February 2022, Russia has focused its war effort across numerous fronts, one of which is informational warfare. Throughout the past two years, Russia has found success in spreading disinformation to undermine support for Ukraine in the West. The information battlefield is equally as important as the physical battlefield, as the capture of the hearts and minds of the Western public directly connects to the battlefield aid given to Ukraine. One online group that has been trying to fight Russian disinformation and rally support for Ukraine has been the North Atlantic Fellas Organization (NAFO).
Modern military battlefield strategy today is always accompanied by irregular warfare efforts such as disinformation campaigns. NAFO offers a valuable asymmetric approach to undermining Russia’s vastly superior state-sponsored propaganda, demonstrating the potential of internet movements as unconventional methods. For future battlefields, NAFO offers a useful case study in irregular warfare, particularly in the informational environment.
Russia’s Information Offensive
US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul previously said that “Russian propaganda has made its way into the United States.” Arguably, it played a role in delaying US aid to Ukraine at a critical juncture in the war earlier this year, enabling a series of battlefield gains by Russia that Ukraine is still struggling to stall. Without US aid, Ukraine was forced to withdraw from the stronghold of Avdiivka in February 2024.
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