Analysis of ministry of defence of Ukraine crisis communications within the Russian Federation information aggression against Ukraine in 2016–2018

Abstract

The active phase of hybrid aggression of the Russian Federation which was started from the illegal annexation of Crimea and occupation of the several regions of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in 2014 has been accompanied by massive information and disinformation campaigns against Ukraine launched by the aggressor. They were accompanied by spreading fakes, deepfakes, propaganda messages, and manipulations. The crisis communications, including efficient information environment monitoring, are important for stable development of any structure and organization. Hybrid component of the conflict was observable since the inception. Information and psychological warfare, humiliation of Ukrainian language and culture, falsification of the Ukrainian history, and establishment of alternative reality of the distorted information picture of the world by the Russian media were identified as one of the most relevant threats to the national security of Ukraine. The aggressor spreads and tells own narratives. Current challenges and threats to the national security of Ukraine determine the overall necessity of finding a viable, appropriate, 1 Candidate of Sciences (Public Administration), Doctoral Student at the Educational and Research Centre for Strategic Communications in the Sphere of National Security and Defence, National Defence University of Ukraine named after Ivan Cherniakhovskyi, mou-infopress@ukr.net. ORCID: 0000-0002-0805-4092 2 Chief of Training Section, Educational and Research Centre for Strategic Communications in the Sphere of National Security and Defence, National Defence University of Ukraine named after Ivan Cherniakhovskyi, perevod_vu@ukr.net. ORCID: 00000002-2614-7014. 60 VIKTORIA KUSHNIR, IRYNA IZHUTOVA effective, as well as integrated tool, which will make possible to establish consistent cooperation in the security and defence sector. Qualitative analysis of the organization of work of elements and units of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine during the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine in order to develop new effective mechanisms of countering the aggression is of upmost importance. The development of this work on the basis of the unique experience will give the chance to establish effective resistance to destructive information campaigns, crisis situations which are conducted by the external aggressor. Purpose of the article is a detailed analysis of the gradual development of mechanisms of implementation of state information policy by the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine while countering hybrid aggression in 2014-2019, as well as development of further recommendations for reform of the abovementioned direction.