The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine warns that Russia intends to escalate its information and psychological attacks against Ukraine.
According to the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Russia is increasing the number of PSYOP units in its armed forces. In particular, special information influence units have been established within the 3rd and 51st Combined Arms Armies of the Russian Armed Forces.
To staff these newly created units, the Russian government introduced a separate group of military specialities – Information Warfare – in April 2024.
PSYOP specialists are trained at the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and the Mozhayskiy Military Space Academy. The transfer of such specialists between military units without approval from the military district headquarters is prohibited.
“The expansion of information influence units within the Russian army structure indicates the enemy’s intention to increase the scale of information and psychological attacks against Ukraine, our Security and Defence Forces, and Ukrainian society,” the intelligence agency stated.
- PSYOP refers to information and psychological operations, involving propaganda, disinformation, cyberattacks, and the manipulation of information – either by exaggeration or understatement – to conduct information warfare.
- In late February, the SBU warned of a significant rise in Russian information sabotage on social media.
- One example is a fake video circulating on TikTok, purportedly featuring Ukrainian military personnel, falsely claiming that Elon Musk is directing Russian artillery at Ukrainian positions via Starlink.