Propaganda as a tool of political communication in the context of the russian-ukrainian war

Abstract

The article analyzes the essence and features of propaganda in the twenty-first century. Attention is paid to the historical retrospective and trends in the development of the phenomenon of "propaganda". The concept of propaganda is interpreted as a tool of political communication with a specific ultimate goal. The main features of Russian propaganda in Ukraine are outlined and it is proved that it affects the socio-political, economic, spiritual, and cultural life of society.
The author emphasizes that Russian propaganda has been actively spreading in Ukraine since 2014 and reached its peak during the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war. In particular, the author highlights the main popular frames such as: dehumanization of the enemy; comparing the opponent to Hitler in any situation; using militaristic themes to portray their leaders; the enemy of the government is presented as an enemy of the state; using the term "party line", etc.
Television and social media are important means of spreading propaganda in today’s context. The latter have an advantage because they help to retain a wide audience by engaging opinion leaders and are adapted to the rapid dissemination of content without resource costs.
It is proved that propaganda is a fairly effective tool in the context of the russian-ukrainian war and is aimed at spreading obsessive frames not only in Ukraine but also in Europe. That is why, in order to counteract the russian propaganda machine, it was decided to establish the Ministry of Information Policy of Ukraine and to develop the main criteria for countering propaganda.
It is proved that propaganda activities within the Ukrainian information space are quite active, but at present, a system of countering the spread of propaganda has been created at the state level and at the level of public activism (volunteer activity).