SUMMARY

In 2021, the Institute for Security and Technology began supporting the U.S. Embassy, Kyiv to develop strategies to combat Russian disinformation and improve the digital safety of Ukrainian civil society and media. Just as our work with Embassy-Kyiv got underway, Russia launched its invasion, and the nature of the project shifted from preparation to response. This report captures that response.

Key Findings:

1. Russian disinformation efforts during the Russo-Ukrainian War spanned a variety of narratives, an approach that muddied the water and allowed for the dissemination of different narratives that could appeal to different audiences.
2. The disinformation narratives evolved during the lead up to and first two weeks of the war, as new items, such as Zelensky’s speech at the Munich Security Conference, broke through and provided new avenues for attracting attention.
3. The Ukrainian media ecosystem demonstrated admirable resilience in the face of disinformation, and has many opportunities to further boost its resilience to future challenges.