Disinformation Mechanisms in Hybrid Conflicts: Russian Information Operations in the Russia–Ukraine War and the Case of Georgia
Author : David Osepashvili 25/12/2025
Article ABSTRACT
In contemporary hybrid conflicts, information influence functions as an integrated instrument alongside military and diplomatic tools, aiming to disrupt decision cycles, erode institutional trust, and fragment public discourse. This article examines recurrent mechanisms of Russian information operations in the Russia–Ukraine war (2014–present) and the case of Georgia (2008–present).
The study adopts a documentary/theoretical research design and qualitative comparative analysis. The empirical corpus draws on reports by international institutions, fact-checking outputs, and peer-reviewed scholarship, complemented by documented open-source examples. Materials were thematically coded across four analytical levels: (1) textual/linguistic manipulation; (2) visual manipulation and synthetic media; (3) narrative framing and strategic storylines; and (4) platform-based amplification and coordinated inauthentic behaviour.
Findings indicate that effectiveness stems less from isolated false claims and more from a chain of mechanisms: narrative production (delegitimisation, demonisation, victim-blaming), high-volume multi-channel repetition consistent with the “firehose of falsehood” model, amplification via trolls and automated accounts, and institutional ‘laundering’ that normalises manipulative messaging as ordinary political positioning. In Ukraine, these mechanisms are particularly visible in operations targeting external audiences by fuelling scepticism and ‘aid fatigue’, whereas in Georgia they contribute to long-term polarisation and the delegitimisation of Euro-Atlantic integration.
Countering such operations requires a multi-level resilience strategy: preventive prebunking/inoculation, credible strategic communication, institutionalised media literacy, and greater platform transparency to detect and mitigate coordinated manipulation.
Key words: Foreign information manipulation, Firehose of falsehood, Coordinated inauthentic behaviour, Synthetic media, South Caucasus.
Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.55367/NPBP1786