RUSSIAN INFORMATION WAR AGAINST UKRAINIAN ARMED FORCES IN 2014–2015: THE UKRAINIAN POINT OF VIEW

Abstract

In this article we will provide an overview about the processes of Russian information warfare against Ukrainian defence forces in 2014 and 2015 and present the Ukrainian point of view. At first it should be noted that Russia’s information’s operations in Ukraine is only a part of bigger non-linear2 war of Russia against Ukrainian state. András Rácz pointed out that in non-linear war “the regular military force is used mainly as a deterrent and not as a tool of open aggression” in comparison to other types of war. András Rácz accentuated what was new in year 2014 – “highly effective, in many cases almost real-time coordination of the various means employed, including political, military, special operations and information measures” that caught both the Ukrainian government and the Western countries off the guard in Crimea and Eastern part of Ukraine.