AZOV CONTRA
Russian propaganda has a strong influence around the world, and unfortunately, the United States is no exception. For Washington, Russian propaganda has long been a domestic security issue. With large financial capital, Moscow spreads pro-Russian narratives through fake news, bribing journalists and opinion leaders, its own English-language media, bots and fake public profiles on social media, and many other hybrid forms of propaganda.
FAKE
AZOV CONTRA FAKE
Russian propaganda has a strong influence around the world, and unfortunately, the United States is no exception. For Washington, Russian propaganda has long been a domestic security issue. With large financial capital, Moscow spreads pro-Russian narratives through fake news, bribing journalists and opinion leaders, its own English-language media, bots and fake public profiles on social media, and many other hybrid forms of propaganda.
For example, in 2023 CNN stated that based on US intelligence reports, the FSB systemically communicates anti-Ukrainian and favorable to the Kremlin agenda through private relationships between Russian agents and high-ranking influential US officials. In 2016, the Americans accused the Russian government of interfering with the US presidential election.
The Russians also actively use bots, social media groups, public profiles and ads (especially on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) to throw in controversial claims that divide the American public. This has been repeatedly reported in the US media. Bots and fake accounts publish provocative comments and posts on social and political issues without any specific viewpoint. Some bots, for example, may be in favor of one stance, while others may support a different one. The topics covered by the Russian bots and public profiles mainly concern LGBT, racial issues, immigration, and gun rights. In addition to dividing the American public and creating additional tension around certain topics and issues, these accounts can be used to directly manipulate public opinions and influence the election results. Thus, the owners of these fake accounts can publish certain posts and then, by monitoring interactions such as likes, comments, or simply views, collect information about the real U.S. Facebook users and potential voters. This information can then be used to create databases for targeted advertising, resulting in those particular social media users seeing ads close to their political preferences. Interactions with such posts have previously been estimated in millions of reactions, comments and likes.
In the United States, Russian propaganda about Ukraine has dramatically increased after Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The Russian lobby in the US promotes the idea that Russia cannot be defeated, and that for the sake of peace it is necessary to return to negotiations, while the cost of this war is too high for US citizens.
In this context, the Ukrainian army, which is deterring Russian aggression and liberating Ukrainian territories from occupation, has become a particular target of Russian manipulations.
HERE IS A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE MAIN MYTHS ABOUT AZOV AND A DETAILED RATIONALE THAT DEBUNKS THEM.
One of the primary goals of the full-scale war, as declared by Russian President Putin, is the so-called “denazification” of Ukraine. He claimed that neo-Nazis had taken over power in Ukraine — a narrative quickly adopted by the Russian propaganda machine. This narrative was chosen for specific reasons:
→ The term “denazification” evokes the USSR’s role in defeating Nazism during World War II, creating a sense of historical righteousness for Russia in its war against Ukraine.
→ Russia uses this narrative to demonise the Ukrainian government and armed forces, mobilise its population internally, and reduce support for Ukraine in Western societies.
→ “Denazification” serves as a pretext for military intervention, presented as morally necessary.
→ Russia exploits the complex history of Ukrainian nationalist movements during World War II, which fought against Soviet power for Ukraine’s independence from the USSR.
Due to the high motivation and professional training of Azov fighters, the unit became the main target of Russian propaganda.
The Azov Battalion was founded in 2014 as a response to the military invasion of eastern Ukraine by the Russian forces. This volunteer unit accepted into its ranks anyone who was willing and able to defend Ukrainians and the territorial integrity of Ukraine. In October 2014, Andrii Biletskyi, a controversial figure and the first commander of Azov, left the unit and engaged in political activity. Since then, Azov has been actively developing, cleansing itself of subcultural elements and introducing professional NATO standards in the training of its fighters.
For 8 years Azov fought in the east of Ukraine, taking part in the defensive and offensive actions. In 2022, the Azov troops selflessly defended Mariupol, which was surrounded by Russian troops, despite the enemy's advantage in manpower and military equipment. After the Ukrainian General Staff ordered them to lay down their arms, the entire Mariupol garrison, including Azov, went into Russian captivity.