A weekly dose of disinformation
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, it has used social media as a platform to promote pro-military and pro-state propaganda. This policy affected all public institutions in Russia, including in the regions. Soon after, a top-down system of social media posting was developed and people working on the ground soon found themselves in the position of having to act also as propagandists. Not all agreed with this policy.
“Become a force defending the motherland,” reads the caption on a photo of a man holding a weapon, promoting Russian military contract service. Since the spring of 2022, posts like this with military-patriotic themes have flooded the social media pages of government-funded institutions on VKontakte (the most popular social media platform in Russia, similar to Facebook). These posts can be found on public pages, including schools, kindergartens, social service centres, hospitals, theatres, museums and libraries.
July 8, 2025 -
Novaya Vkladka
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Issue 4 2025MagazineStories and ideas
The production of a weaver's portrait of Vladimir Putin. Photo: hramovnick / Shutterstock
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