Get acquainted with the top hybrid influences in Ukraine in our regular rubric #HybridWeekly:
- The pro-Russian forces, especially the “Opposition Platform – For Life” party, have intensified the promotion of holding elections in the occupied territories before reclaiming control over the border. This stance has been heavily promoted by the Kremlin in negotiations within the Trilateral Contact Group and the Normandy Format and is the main component of Russian terms of achieving “peace” in the occupied territories. The Kremlin defends such elections as they will be neither fair, nor transparent, but will legitimize the current puppet regime.
- The “external governance” narrative is promoted in terms of the land reform progress made by Ukraine in the last month. The attacks on the reform and threats that “the land will be sold to foreigners” are the key points within the “external governance” narrative aimed to cause intimidation and dismay in the target audience. Such messages are extremely visible from the same “Opposition Platform – For Life” party, leaders of which call for the cancellation of the law on the free land market. The anti-reform attacks are actively promoted on the Telegram channels, often anonymous and positioned as Ukrainian despite having clear anti-Ukrainian sentiment.
- Pro-Kremlin forces are attempting to discredit the image of Ukraine abroad, particularly through disseminating disinformation in Spain. Pro-Russian propagandist Sharii gave an interview to a popular Spanish newspaper El Pais, portraying Ukraine as fascist and authoritarian, claiming he and the followers of the Sharii Party are persecuted by neo-Nazi groups employed by the Ukrainian government. This fits into the wider narrative Russian propaganda promotes interpreting charges against pro-Russian politicians conducting anti-Ukraine subversive activities as political repressions against the opposition.