We have already analyzed the first reactions of the Kremlin leadership to the events in the Kursk region. In addition to the fact that they were chaotic, non-specific, Moscow tried in every possible way to downplay the scale of the events, to show that nothing so extraordinary is happening: just some DRG, just some terrorists, just came to spoil the nerves… And they say – don’t stress – everything is under control.
However, the true depth of the shock of the leaders of the terrorist country became clear just a few days ago – approximately since August 14, the propaganda machine of the Kremlin recovered, drew up a plan, formed methods and launched the flywheel of information speculation, using almost all methods of manipulation and propaganda that are in the arsenal. More on this in the article.
First, it is necessary to take a short trip back a year and remember the first raids of the RDK and the Belgorod region in the spring of 2023. Then the propagandists of the Kremlin were not prepared to form an information agenda for their citizens to understand the situation. The situation caught them by surprise. And in the first days, their messages resembled chaos: sometimes “terrorists” fired at a bus with schoolchildren, then it turned out that no one fired at the bus; then they wrote that a girl died, and then that a boy was wounded in the back. Then it turned out that the boy was wounded in the chest, because he was covering two girls…
This is roughly how chaotic the Kremlin’s propaganda reacted to the events in Kurshchyna during the first days of the offensive of the Armed Forces. But she recovered in 5-6 days and by her actions essentially exposed how painful the attack on the Kursk region was for the Kremlin. And the main thing is the loss of information and image.
So, propagandists have been in full swing in recent days, supporting the informational background of those events that the Kremlin began to carry out. And we will now show the hidden meaning of these propaganda efforts.
Manipulation / Propaganda
DISTRACTION
In order to divert attention from the events in Kurshchyna, the Kremlin, through anonymous sources, threw the Western media allegedly the latest materials of the investigation into the undermining of the Nord Streams. They note that one of the persons involved in the detonation has allegedly been identified. And he is a citizen of Ukraine. However, all materials are based on anonymous sources, which raises doubts about their reliability.
In addition, the publication describes the chain of orders allegedly given by the Ukrainian military and political leadership to the immediate executors. However, the described schemes fundamentally contradict the system of distribution of powers that exists in Ukraine among the military, special services, and political leadership. That is, this is how I described the events that could hardly have happened.
But the topic is top, so for some time it was able to focus on itself the attention of the Western media and the audience.
SPREAD OF FEAR AND PANIC
The first item in this category was a fake that Ukraine was allegedly preparing to use a “dirty” nuclear bomb again.
Then there were accusations of seizing the Kursk NPP and preparing a provocation on it.
Then there were rumors about the “revenge of the Kremlin” for Kursk – allegedly, Russia is preparing a missile strike of unprecedented power.
INTIMIDATION
From the category of tactical-level intimidation, which is directed at both Russians and Ukrainians, a provocative video with barbaric footage has emerged – allegedly the military of one of the units of the Russian Federation cut off the head of a Ukrainian soldier who was captured and put his head on a stake. Terrible footage was deliberately thrown into the Ukrainian information space. We do not now discuss the authenticity of these events – an important informational component.
With such a plot, Kremlin propaganda is trying to intimidate Ukrainians, knock down that adrenaline rush of victory, sow panic among the military, they say, look what awaits you here in Kurshchyna.
In addition, this is how Moscow tries to provoke a violent backlash from the Armed Forces, so that later, if some incident happens, it can be used against Ukraine, accusing it of barbarism, Nazism and similar sins.
The second aspect is the intimidation of one’s own. Why – so that the military would not surrender, so that civilians would offer at least some resistance. Because against the background of how loyal Russian civilians of the Kursk region were to the Armed Forces, the Kremlin was probably in a state of shock.
DEMONIZATION OF THE ENEMY
On August 16, the Galaxy Shopping Center (formerly Epicenter), which is located on the road from Kurakhovo to Donetsk, caught fire. Propaganda immediately accused Ukraine of a missile attack on a civilian object. A video of a man screaming in hysterics that his wife and children died in a shopping center and calling on the python to destroy the Nazis went viral on the Internet.
Approximately in the same days, propagandists distributed a video where two Ukrainian soldiers, one of whom is wearing a German helmet from the Second World War with the markings of an SS unit, are angry and laugh at an elderly Russian, imitate a German accent, and joke in the style of the fascists depicted in Soviet films.
Let’s leave behind the scenes the authenticity of the video – there are questions about it. But with such a plot, propaganda tried to show the inhuman Nazi face of the Kyiv regime.
This list goes on and on. Unfortunately, in addition to being bottomless, Russian propaganda is a very powerful resource for generating disinformation about companies of this scale and type.
So, in order to understand and reveal the hidden meanings of Russian propaganda – and the ones we talked about and others – stay with us.
