Description
ABSTRACT
In the article, the authors consider Russia’s use of fakes and manipulations as tools of the information war against Ukraine and their impact on young people using the example of Mariupol. The methods of Russian propaganda, its purpose, impact on the opinion of the Ukrainian population are reflected. The influence of Russia’s propaganda in 2014, when it provoked the armed conflict, is compared with 2022 when a full-scale invasion began. It was found out that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, together with collaborators, systematically violate the norms of international humanitarian law and the rules of warfare. As examples, the authors revealed the most high-profile fakes and manipulations related to the seizure of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol and countless casualties
among civilians. It is proved that the Kremlin denies and hides its complicity in these war crimes. Therefore, through the media, social networks and officials, it disseminates lies and disinformation, trying to convince the public opinion that they were committed by the Ukrainian military-political leadership and by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This is due to the attempt to convince their own society of the “rightfulness” of their attitude, as well as to influence the consciousness of the population of occupied territories, in particular young people, to control it. Therefore, the authors don’t only analyze and refute the untruths of the content of Russian information resources, but also try to characterize their impact on the mass consciousness of the object of propaganda.
Keywords: crime, fake, manipulation, Mariupol, Russia, Ukrain, war, youth.
