460 pages about non-existent fascists

Many people would immediately associate Russian disinformation with pro-Kremlin trolling on social media; the manipulation of information by Kremlin-financed news outlets (e.g. Sputnik or RT) or the dissemination of the Russian leadership’s narrative via political talk shows on state-owned TV channels.

Disinformation in the academic sphere
While the disinformation directed to mass audiences is undoubtedly a key element in Moscow’s propaganda campaign against the EU, NATO or Ukraine, it is rapidly proliferating in the academic sphere as well.

The East Stratcom Task Force’s Disinformation Review regularly reports about disinformation spread by analysts from the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies (RISS), a think-tank established by the President of the Russian Federation.

Last week’s edition featured Artur Atayev (Head of the Section for Caucasus, RISS), who believes that the UK’s approach to the so-called Litvinenko case confirms that London merely considers Russia an enemy, not as a strategic partner and Alexei Samoylov (Expert Group on Ukraine, RISS), who claims that “Ukraine is an artificial nation” and “Ukrainians are Russian by origin”.

Newly released propaganda book
This week, Oleksandr Nykonorov, journalist for Depo.ua, drew attention to a recently released propaganda book written by Maxim Grigorev, political scientist and director of the Fund for the Research of Problems of Democracy.

The 460 pages long analytical piece, titled “Ordinary Fascism”, builds on the frequently repeated pro-Kremlin myth that “Ukraine is a fascist state” and the “Ukrainian government is waging war against its own people”.

The alleged atrocities of the Ukrainian “siloviki” are discussed through five chapters, each dedicated to a specific war crime.

They include the “mass killing of innocent civilians” (Chapter III), the “purposeful destruction of orphanages, schools and hospitals” (Chapter IV) as well as the “torture of the Donbass region residents” (Chapter V).