The image of Ukraine cultivated by Russian propaganda, By Olha Bilousenko

The Image of Ukraine Cultivated by Russian Propaganda in European and African Media

For years, Ukraine has been one of the primary targets of Russia’s propaganda machine. Initially, Russia aimed to destabilise the internal situation in Ukraine by creating division, fragmenting the society into opposing groups, undermining Ukraine’s agency and national identity, and portraying the country as inferior — a “younger brother” to the great Russia. This laid the groundwork for the annexation of Crimea and the invasion of Ukraine in 2014. Even after 2014, Russia continued its efforts to divide Ukrainian society, denying the presence of its troops in Ukraine and shifting the blame for Crimea’s annexation onto Ukraine itself. As 2022 approached, Russia intensified its disinformation campaigns, preparing the information space for a full-scale invasion. In this article, we explore this process in greater detail and examine how it connects to Russia’s influence in African countries.

How Russia Constructs a False Image of Ukraine and Why It Does So

Russia has spread disinformation not only within Ukraine but also about Ukraine abroad, in the information spaces of dozens of countries across different continents. The goal of Russian disinformation, in this case, as in any other, is to help it, as a state, achieve its political objectives. Therefore, Russia seeks to create an image of Ukraine that is alternative to reality and beneficial specifically to it. The formation of such an image is part of a large-scale information war aimed at achieving several strategic goals, which we have already mentioned. First and foremost, this includes justifying its own aggression and delegitimising Ukrainian statehood. The Kremlin systematically attempts to portray Ukraine as a “failed,” “corrupt,” or “externally controlled” state in order to undermine its international support and justify the war in the eyes of audiences around the world.

Another important goal is to fracture the international coalition supporting Ukraine. In Europe, Russia promotes narratives about “Ukraine fatigue,” the “ineffectiveness of aid,” and the “need for negotiations” to reduce military and financial support. Meanwhile, in African countries, it constructs an image of Ukraine as part of a “Western colonial conspiracy,” attempting to strengthen its own position as the “protector” of the Global South. In this way, Russia seeks not only to isolate Ukraine but also to weaken the West as a whole, sowing doubts about its policies and intentions.

Additionally, the alternative image of Ukraine serves for internal mobilisation within Russia itself. The Kremlin demonises Ukraine in order to maintain internal cohesion and justify repression against dissenters. It is important for the Russian authorities to ensure that citizens do not question the legitimacy of the war and do not seek alternative sources of information.

Ultimately, the creation of a distorted image of Ukraine is part of a broader strategy aimed at manipulating global opinion and shifting the balance of power. Russia is acting not only against Ukraine but also against the international order, where it seeks to restore its influence by using disinformation as a tool of hybrid warfare.

So, what kind of image does Russia create for Ukraine in European countries?

The image of Ukraine shaped by Russian propaganda for Western audiences has evolved over the years of full-scale war, depending on the context and events both in Ukraine and in the countries where pro-Russian messages are disseminated. Russian propaganda is adaptive and flexible: before producing messages, it studies the target audience and its vulnerabilities to craft narratives that will be most effective.

At the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the messages shaping Ukraine’s image also served to justify Russia’s actions. These included accusations of Ukraine being Nazi, cruel, Russophobic, and engaging in atrocities against civilians in Donetsk and Luhansk. Through such messages, Russia portrayed Ukraine as the aggressor, justifying its invasion by creating the illusion that the Russian government had no other choice but to “protect” Ukrainians, including Russian-speaking ones, from an “illegitimate” Ukrainian government.

At that time, Russia also promoted the image of Ukraine as a puppet state supposedly controlled from abroad, particularly by the United States. This narrative further justified Russia’s actions, implying that it was protecting Ukrainians from Western colonisation.

However, since Russian propaganda adapts its messages to the context, now, in the fourth year of the full-scale war, the key set of narratives has shifted to the following:

1. Ukraine is a burdensome drain. It is portrayed as a country that constantly requires financial and military aid, thereby exhausting European economies. The focus is on “Ukraine fatigue” and the narrative that supporting Kyiv allegedly harms ordinary European Union citizens.
2. Ukraine is a corrupt state. This message suggests that Ukraine is “doomed” to corruption and does not deserve aid because it will “inevitably be stolen.” This discredits Kyiv in the eyes of European politicians and society.
3. Ukraine is a dictatorship that suppresses dissent. Russian propaganda highlights the banning of pro-Russian parties and media, attempting to present Ukraine as a state where there is no freedom of speech and the opposition is persecuted.
4. Ukraine cannot win. Russia promotes the idea that military support for Ukraine is futile because it has no chance of victory. This aims to demotivate partners from continuing to supply weapons and financial assistance.
5. Ukraine is an obstacle to world peace. Ukraine is depicted as the side unwilling to engage in peace talks, while Europe allegedly suffers from the war due to the actions of the Ukrainian government.

All these messages are aimed at undermining support for Ukraine among European politicians and society, creating tension between Kyiv and its partners, and pressuring the West to reduce aid. The mechanism works as follows: Russia turns Western societies against Ukraine, and in turn, these societies influence their governments, demanding a change in policy toward Ukraine.

Ukraine through the Eyes of Russian Propaganda in African Countries

In African countries, Russian propaganda creates a completely different image of Ukraine, tailored to the local context and perception. By adapting disinformation to local contexts, Russia makes it more targeted and, consequently, more influential. While in the EU countries, Russia portrays Ukraine as Nazi, beggar, and corrupt, in African countries, the image of Ukraine has shifted: in these information spaces, Ukraine is portrayed as the main “colonialist,” the provocateur of poverty, and the destroyer of traditional values. In particular, several key messages about Ukraine spread by Russia in African countries can be highlighted:

1. Ukraine is part of the “Western colonial conspiracy.” In this context, Ukraine is depicted as a vassal of the West, acting in the interests of the USA and the EU, rather than as an independent state. Russia, in contrast, positions itself as the “protector of the Global South” and a fighter against colonialism.
2. Ukraine is responsible for the food crisis. Propaganda claims that Ukraine and its allies use grain as a geopolitical weapon, deliberately blocking supplies to poor countries and causing rising food prices. Meanwhile, Russia presents itself as the “savior” providing Africa with “Russian wheat.”
3. Ukraine is the enemy of traditional values. In this case, Russia imposes the narrative that Ukraine shares “Western immorality” and introduces foreign social norms to Africa, such as excessive feminism or LGBT ideology.
4. The provocateur of war. Ukraine is portrayed as the country that provoked the war, “didn’t want peace,” and “didn’t comply with the Minsk agreements.” In this way, Russia seeks to legitimize its aggression.
5. Ukraine is a country that will soon cease to exist. Russian propaganda promotes the idea that Ukraine is an artificial state formation that will disintegrate due to the war, internal conflicts, and its inability to exist independently.

These messages aim to strengthen pro-Russian sentiments in Africa, undermine trust in Ukraine and its partners, and justify Russian aggression as a fight for “historical justice.”

A Few Examples

In a study by the Ukrainian organisation “Detector Media,” whose researchers analysed data on Ukraine in the media of the Global South, it is noted that Nigerian media spread messages suggesting that Western support for Ukraine is greater than support for Nigeria, which faces numerous security challenges (the Boko Haram terrorist group in the northeast, militants in the Niger Delta, farmer clashes, Igbo separatism). Such messages are needed by Russia to turn Nigerian society and neighboring countries against Ukraine. It is suggested that it is because of Ukraine that countries in the Global South do not receive support, as if African peoples are suffering because of Ukraine.

According to the study, the most common Russian narrative in the media of the Global South is the alleged historical continuity and all-encompassing corruption in Ukraine. Nigerian media emphasized the “long history of chronic corruption,” while Brazilian media reminded that Ukraine was one of the richest regions of the USSR but became the “poorest and most corrupt country.” Kazakhstani media wrote that “before providing support to Ukraine, one should remember how corrupt it is.”

Russian propaganda occasionally accuses Ukraine and its partners of lying. Open accusations of lies by Western media were also spread in Nigeria. For example, a message was spread claiming that Facebook had blocked the largest Russian-language media account of the propaganda outlet Russia Today, supposedly without explanation.

There were also widespread messages about alleged repression against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP). Nigerian media wrote about representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, calling them “unordained schismatics,” and their ministry “in the Holy Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra would be a great shame for all of Ukraine.” In general, the Russian Church is widespread in African countries, and the Russian army does everything to strengthen its influence. According to research by the publication “Texty,” the main church institution through which Russian narratives are promoted on the African continent is the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa, created in December 2021.

After the Alexandrian Patriarchate recognised the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) in 2019, the Russian Orthodox Church decided to remove its parishes in Africa from the jurisdiction of the Alexandrian Patriarchate and make them autonomous. This was called the “Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa.” Its centers operate in 23 countries on the continent, which is slightly less than half. The creation of a separate structure allowed the Russian Orthodox Church to establish systematic propaganda work. “African priests are taken to Russia for training, where they attend military forums in Moscow. After such ideological processing, under the guise of religious training, priests from Africa begin to praise the Russian ‘Special Military Operation’ and generally repeat Russian fakes about Ukraine,” writes “Texty.”

Many disinformation messages in the media of African countries were aimed at discrediting the Ukrainian authorities, particularly President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska. According to research by the Molfar agency and the Centre for Countering Disinformation, the following messages were found in the information space of African countries, including Nigeria:

• “A luxury villa belonging to the family of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was found on the shores of Egypt.”
• “Olena Zelenska spent $1 million shopping in New York.”
• “Olena Zelenska’s foundation is involved in child trafficking.”
• “Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky bought yachts worth $75 million.”
• “Zelensky bought the villa of Nazi propaganda minister Goebbels.”

“Almost all materials in African media were signed under fictitious names and were later deleted from the websites. A number of fakes were actively republished by Russian propaganda media. For example, the ‘heroine’ of the fake about Zelenska’s shopping – a store employee who was fired after the supposed visit of Ukraine’s First Lady – turned out to be a native of Cameroon, who has lived in Russia since 2017 and is studying to become a doctor in St. Petersburg,” the study states.

Conclusion

Russian disinformation messages in Africa and Europe can have serious consequences for international support for Ukraine and the global perception of the war. In Europe, they undermine unity regarding sanctions and military aid, decrease trust in the Ukrainian government, and fuel public war fatigue. In Africa, these narratives contribute to distancing from Ukraine and create a false impression of the Russo-Ukrainian war as part of the struggle against “Western imperialism.”

To counter this, it is essential to strengthen strategic communications tailored to different audiences. In Africa, in particular, there should be a more active effort to share Ukraine’s history, cooperation with Global South countries, and the real reasons behind the war, while also debunking Russian myths about the “fight against colonialism.” It is also important to understand that today one of the targets of Russian disinformation is Ukraine. And it is difficult to predict who will be the next target.

Olha Bilousenko is a Ukrainian journalist, disinformation expert, and researcher.