ISW: Russia escalates false flag information operations to distract from failures

The Institute for the Study of War claimed that Russia appears to have escalated the promotion of the false flag information operations in its latest update on Feb. 28.

The report cited campaigns accusing the US and its accomplices of a possible “provocation in Ukraine using toxic chemicals” by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

“The apparent uptick in fallacious biochemical and nuclear false flag warnings accompanies a concerted Russian false flag information operation accusing Ukraine of preparing for an invasion of Russian-occupied Transnistria, Moldova,” the report said.

According to the D.C.-based think tank's assessment, the increased intensity of the information operations signals Russia’s attempts to downplay its military failures and slow down the provision of Western military aid to Ukraine. The report predicts the trend will persist as Russia continues its offensive and Ukrainian forces gear up for the counteroffensive.

The Feb. 27 ISW report also focused on Russia’s disinformation efforts around falsely promoting the war as existential for the country.

"Putin’s language is designed to fuel support for the war in Russia and stoke fears in the West of the instability that would follow the collapse of Russia to deter Western support to Ukraine and persuade the West to coerce Kyiv into accepting Russian demands,” the report said.

ISW: Russian officials falsely promote war in Ukraine as existential

The Kyiv Independent