Analysts of the Crimean Human Rights Group monitored the content of Russian media for signs of calls for an aggressive war against countries that are allies of Ukraine.

While viewing of the video content, propaganda and calls for an aggressive war against the European Union countries and the United States of America were identified.

The conclusion made based on the analyzed quotes is presented further: in 2022 – 2024 in order to calm down the public perception of the idea of armed aggression by Russia against the European Union and the United States of America, Russian TV propagandists used the following narratives:

1.The EU and the USA were captured by Satanism;

2.Decision-making centers in Europe must be bombed;

3.European cities supplying weapons go to Ukraine must be bombed;

4.Europe must be freed from the Nazis; European Nazism is a beast that to be exterminated;

5.Russia is ready to fight with Europe.

The monitoring showed that within this time period the speakers on the Russian governmental media broadcasts mostly tried to dehumanize the “enemy” through the prism of religion and metaphors. They also speculated on the WWII archetypes and used hypothetical situations to justify aggression against Europe and the USA. In addition, the statements often contain propagandists’ calls demanding or provoking attacks on countries because of their support for Ukraine.

Justification of aggression through hypothetical situations

On live TV broadcasts the Russian speakers, referring to hypothetical situations, threaten to bomb countries that provide aid to Ukraine or which, in their opinion, control the “Nazi regime in Kiev”. The countries most often mentioned in this context are the USA, Great Britain, Germany, France, and Poland. The propagandists justify such calls by the fact that, if Russia does not do this, the military aid to Ukraine can be expanded, for example, nuclear weapons may be provided. In addition, discussions on attacking or using nuclear weapons against other countries as counteracting the policy of Europe and the USA that does not meet the Russian interests, are regularly on the air. Thus, their statements are voiced as warning but in fact are permissions to commit this action.

World War II architypes

It should be noted that in calls for an attack on the EU, Russian propagandists not only use terms from the Second World War times (“denazification”, “Nazis”, etc.), but also encourage to repeat that period’s events. Among the most common calls of this type are those for seizing Berlin or liberating Germany and other European countries from Nazism. In addition, a narrative that these countries have brought the Nazis to power in Ukraine can be often heard.

For instance, the speakers say that they see the war in Ukraine as something similar to the “Great Patriotic War” or its continuation at all. By this approach, the Russians are morally permitted to hate and commit aggression against the EU, since the Russian governmental policy itself is built up on heroizing the WWII events (but in the context of the Patriotic War) and is aimed at presenting the image of Russia in the public space as the most oppressed country that still has to fight for its survival facing the “collective West engulfed by Nazism”.

Manipulation of religious beliefs

In such statements, the speakers claim that the USA and the EU members are “satanic” countries that obey the antichrist. They assure that the “devilish West” is trying to spiritually capture Russia, which is the center of goodness and true values. For this reason, the Russians are communicated the idea that the so called “SVO” is a holy war, in which Russian soldiers are the army of Jesus, which must defeat the antichrist, and will not stop within the borders of Ukraine to achieve this goal.

The calls that contain manipulation of religious beliefs are usually delivered by invited experts who have a great influence on the audience. For example, Aleksandr Dugin, the Russian philosopher, considers this from the Christian point of view while Apty Alaudinov, commander of AKHMAT special unit, talks about this, referring to Islam.

In some cases, such calls are also enhanced by the narrative vertical. They mostly quote from or refer to the statements of Vladimir Putin or Ramzan Kadyrov, in which they raise the topic of religion.

Using the narrative vertical is described in detail in the previous CHRG analytical review.

Usage of metaphors

In some cases, calls for war and incitement to enmity are communicated through metaphors. For example, on the “Russia 1” TV channel air, Andrey Bezrukov, a member of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy of the Russian Federation, a guest of the “Evening with Vladimir Solovyov” show, compares the European Union residents to predators, and the Russia residents to herbivores. In turn, Vladimir Solovyov calls on the Russians to “step on the skull of this predator.” Later in the conversation, the show guest compares Russia to an elephant, which all predators should be afraid of and which, if angered, can destroy everything on his way, “and can tramp to Berlin again.”

Metaphors are also used for calls to kill EU residents, combined with dehumanization. For example, in one of Day Z shows, on the “Solovyov LIVE” TV channel, Marat Bulatov, a TV presenter, said that the population of European countries should be “shot like a mad dog.”

According to the monitoring results, thirteen speakers who incited enmity and called for an aggressive war against the EU or the USA, were identified:

Vladimir R. Solovyov – a TV presenter;

Aleksandr G. Dugin – a philosopher, political analyst, public figure

Apty A. Alaudinov – Russian Army Major General, commander of AKHMAT military unit;

Pavel A. Astakhov – a lawyer, Radio Sputnik presenter

Frants A. Klintsevich – leader of “Afghanistan Veterans Russian Union”, a politician

Konstantin V. Sivkov – Doctor of Military Sc., Vice-President of Russian Academy for Missile and Artillery Sciences

Vitaliy T. Tretyakov – Dean of Higher TV School, Moscow State University

Andrey O. Bezrukov – a member of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy of the Russian Federation

Vadim A. Avva – a journalist

Marat R. Bulatov – a TV and radio presenter

Akhra R. Avidzb – a commander of PIATNASHKA battalion

Rostislav V. Ischenko – a political analyst

Pavel Shypilin – a political analyst.

The content was selected by the Crimean Human Rights Group with WORD OF WAR analytical service developed by CHANGING TOGETHER CA. TV shows of such Russian media as PERVYI KANAL, ROSSIA 1, Solovyov LIVE, aired during the period of 2022 – 2024 were reviewed during the monitoring. The monitoring list also included selected video channels of some Russian and Crimean media and speakers with many subscribers in YouTube and Rutube social networks and Telegram messenger.

The methodology for selecting and assessing the content was developed by Yulia Krylova-Hrek, PhD (Psychology), IRES researcher (Institute for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Uppsala University (Sweden), Ass. Prof. (Kyiv-Mohyla Academy National University), given the results of the previous Crimean Human Rights Group study: “Hate Speech in Online Media Publicizing Events in Crimea”.

The analysis author – Anastasiya Chubukova, a CHRG documentator.

For examples of statements that according to the Crimean Human Rights Group analysts, feature hate speech together with calls for aggressive war against the EU countries and the United States of America, see Annex 1.