Russia has been conducting various disinformation operations around the world for more than 80 years, aimed at justifying its imperial ambitions.
Canadian disinformation expert Marcus Kolga said this in an interview with Ukrinform.
“Since the Cold War, the overarching goal has always been to legitimize Russia’s imperial ambitions. A classic tactic is labelling anyone who resisted Soviet domination as a “neo-Nazi,” which dehumanizes entire communities,” Kolga said.
According to him, today Russia is also actively carrying out disinformation operations to erode support for Ukraine, both within Canada and across the West.
“Where there is a strong appetite to provide aid, disinformation seeks to undermine it,” the expert emphasized.
In addition, Russia is trying to destabilize democracies around the world.
“We know from leaked Russian documents that Moscow instructs contractors to monitor Western societies for divisions, intensify them with disinformation, and, where none exist, create them,” Kolga noted.
Finally, inside Russia, propaganda is designed to ensure “silence dissent and keep Putin in power as long as possible.”
As Ukrinform reported, earlier this week Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs exposed a systemic Russian fake-news campaign against Ukraine in Africa.
Photo credit: Facebook / Marcus Kolga
Source: Canadian expert outlines goals of Russia’s disinformation campaigns
