Narrative Evolution in Contemporary Conflict: Subversive Leverage of Propaganda

The fragmentation of reality, reinforced by social media, provoked discussions about the next stage in informational warfare. So-called “post-truth” environment amplifies ingrained biases, which are played upon by the antitheses of democracy. However, weaponizing information and its distribution channels are not a novelty in conflicts. Since H. Lasswell, propaganda analysts have delved into cognitive and informational dimensions of war, enduring techniques to sway the foe. Technological evolution in war has consistently defined its “generations.” In 2023, Ukrainian General Valerii Zaluzhnyi identified integrating artificial intelligence into combat as the onset of the new generation of warfare. On the “informational battlefield,” we observe an evolution where AI aids in creating, building up argumentation, and disseminating narratives. It considerably simplifies the ability to develop old propaganda technologies. But why, do already well-known techniques continue to bring results in modern conflicts? Russian war in Ukraine is a battlefield where modern warfare shows future (at least technological) trends that have the potential to be used and developed in forthcoming conflicts. But being a war of the future, it uses narratives of the past. The aggressor takes advantage of propaganda techniques perverting the past (“transfer”) to justify the invasion, drawing similarities from the ideological approach of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Russian narratives form a central component of the informational dimension of this war. It reveals the tactics of the aggressor’s assault on state sovereignty and the information war against democracy in general. This article explores the evolution of narratives spread by Russian propaganda associates in Ukraine before and after the second invasion (February 24, 2022.) Using qualitative content analysis, the study focuses on Telegram (Russian-founded social media, which become a popular information source among Ukrainian citizens), analyzing its propaganda-spreading channels. The selected Telegram channels are categorized based on their all-Ukraine or regional agendas, allowing an assessment of propaganda’s multifaceted strategies according to the target audience. Unpacking not only an outer shell of narrative but also its underlying core, research findings shed light on modern propaganda techniques and patterns. It shows the evolution of narratives and the transformation of propaganda techniques in contemporary conflict dynamics. It brings up findings on how propaganda challenges society’s attributes – identity, national unity, political culture, legitimacy of government, trust, and defense capability. The case of Ukraine enables the author to summarize a propaganda playbook adapted for modern conflict implications.