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There is no widely documented case where Russia used misinformation alone to overthrow a small country that it could not defeat militarily. However, Russia has employed extensive misinformation and information warfare as part of hybrid warfare strategies to destabilize, weaken, and exert influence over smaller countries, particularly when direct military intervention was either politically risky or militarily challenging.

Key Examples of Russian Misinformation and Influence Operations

• Ukraine (2014–present): Russia used a combination of military force and sophisticated information warfare to destabilize Ukraine, especially in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. While Russia did not rely solely on misinformation to overthrow the Ukrainian government, information operations played a crucial role in sowing internal discord, undermining public trust, and demoralizing both the military and civilian populations231. This included spreading false narratives, amplifying internal conflicts, and using social media to manipulate public opinion.

• Georgia (2008, ongoing): Russia conducted military operations against Georgia in 2008, but since then, it has used information operations to influence Georgian politics and society. These efforts include spreading pro-Russian narratives, undermining Western-aligned leadership, and amplifying societal divisions, but not to the point of overthrowing the government solely through misinformation14.

• Moldova and the South Caucasus (ongoing): In Moldova and countries like Armenia and Azerbaijan, Russia has used information campaigns to destabilize governments, amplify anti-government sentiment, and undermine support for Western integration. For example, in Armenia, pro-Russian actors used Telegram and other platforms to fuel anti-government sentiment after the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but again, this did not result in an outright overthrow of the government by misinformation alone14.

Summary

Russia’s approach is typically to combine military, economic, and information warfare to achieve its objectives. While misinformation and information operations are powerful tools for destabilization and influence, there is no clear instance where Russia has used misinformation alone to overthrow a small country that it could not defeat militarily. Instead, misinformation is used to weaken, divide, and set the stage for other forms of intervention231.

1. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/report/undermining-ukraine-how-russia-widened-its-global-information-war-in-2023/
2. https://www.usmcu.edu/Outreach/Marine-Corps-University-Press/MCU-Journal/JAMS-vol-12-no-1/Russian-Cyber-Information-Warfare/
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_information_war_against_Ukraine
4. https://carnegieendowment.org/europe/strategic-europe/2024/12/taking-the-pulse-are-information-operations-russias-most-potent-weapon-against-europe?lang=en
5. https://akademie.dw.com/en/disinformation-on-the-front-lines-war-is-not-just-bombs-and-tanks/a-61681921
6. https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/08/22/information-warfare-in-russias-war-in-ukraine/
7. https://www.nato.int/docu/review/articles/2024/04/26/russias-hybrid-war-against-the-west/index.html
8. https://www.iar-gwu.org/print-archive/64g7lshepy1awksgtiyvj3bsqfipw0

 Russia used misinformation and disinformation as core components of its strategy to influence Ukraine, especially prior to and alongside its military interventions, but also during periods when direct military force was not the main tool. Here’s how these tactics were employed:

• Pretext for Action: Russian officials and state media spread false claims and conspiracy theories to create pretexts for intervention. Examples include allegations that Ukraine was committing genocide against Russian speakers, was a neo-Nazi state, or was developing biological or nuclear weapons with Western help617. These narratives were designed to justify Russian actions internationally and domestically.

• Undermining Trust and Unity: Russia targeted Ukrainian society with the goal of sowing confusion, fear, and mistrust in the government. For instance, deepfake videos of President Zelensky telling citizens to surrender were circulated on social media and briefly appeared on Ukrainian TV5. These efforts aimed to demoralize the population and undermine confidence in leadership.

• Disrupting Information Space: Russian operatives flooded Ukrainian social media, especially platforms like Telegram, with manipulated images, forged documents, and fake news tickers that appeared to be from reputable sources like the BBC or Al Jazeera5. This made it difficult for Ukrainians to discern truth from fiction.

• Amplifying Internal Divisions: Russia used both overt and covert channels to amplify existing societal divisions within Ukraine, such as linguistic, regional, or political differences, in order to weaken national unity67.

• Global Influence Campaigns: Beyond Ukraine, Russia targeted international audiences, including Western countries, Africa, and Latin America, to erode support for Ukraine and to spread narratives that Ukraine was unstable or untrustworthy56. This included spreading false claims about Ukrainian refugees, corruption, and military failures.

• Co-opting Fact-Checking: Russia created multilingual channels on platforms like Telegram that mimicked fact-checking formats to “verify” pro-Kremlin narratives and defend Russian military actions, further blurring the line between truth and propaganda5.

These tactics did not rely on direct military force but instead used information as a weapon to destabilize, confuse, and demoralize both Ukrainian society and its international supporters356. The goal was to weaken Ukraine from within and reduce its ability to resist Russian influence or aggression.

1. https://2021-2025.state.gov/fact-vs-fiction-russian-disinformation-on-ukraine/
2. https://disa.org/disinformation-and-the-russo-ukrainian-war/
3. https://publications.armywarcollege.edu/News/Display/Article/3789933/understanding-russian-disinformation-and-how-the-joint-force-can-address-it/
4. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1758-5899.13257
5. https://time.com/6257372/russia-ukraine-war-disinformation/
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disinformation_in_the_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine
7. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/news/transcripts/mapping-the-last-decade-of-russias-disinformation-and-influence-campaign-in-ukraine/
8. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/disinformation-and-russia-s-war-of-aggression-against-ukraine_37186bde-en.html