Modern disinformation activity of the Russian Federation and examples of its neutralization

Abstract

Disinformation activities are part and parcel of the Russian Federation's, and formerly the Soviet Union's, information-psychological warfare (in the Russians' perception of information defense) with the Western world. The effective manipulation of public sentiment in Europe in the desired direction for Moscow benefits the overall stated foreign policy goals of the Russian state. Despite the many experiences of European intelligence and governments decades ago, Russian disinformation is still an effective tool due to the emergence of new operational capabilities. The author focuses on the characteristics of disinformation activities carried out by Russia in the 21st century and methods of combating them by selected European countries and international organizations.