Russian Propaganda of Aggression Against Ukraine (2014–2021)

The article examines the features of information support for Russian aggression from 2014 to 2021. The purpose of the study is to highlight the principal means and principles of the information warfare of the Russian Federation, to clarify the main aspects of information support for its own aggression on the territory of Ukraine, and its development trends. The main directions and tools for spreading Russian propaganda have been clarified. The purpose of the Russian information campaigns and their consequences are identified. The general trends of Russian propaganda regarding the events in Ukraine are highlighted. The main resources implementing the Russian information policy have been identified. The sources of Russia's information and propaganda campaign have been revealed. It is proved that not only traditional media but also social networks were of great importance. Using all resources in the complex, Kremlin propagandists tried to justify their aggression in the eyes of their compatriots and the international community, as well as to create a negative image of Ukraine. Partly, this had particular consequences due to the systematic actions of the Russian mass media abroad. However, russia did not achieve crucial political goals. Peculiar attention is focused on the need to form countermeasures, especially in the context of the beginning of the acute phase of the Russian-Ukrainian war from February 24, 2022. It is important to understand that confrontation in the information field is an integral stage of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The new stage has somewhat actualised the importance of analysing the Russian mass media to understand the trends of changes in Russian propaganda and the formation of an optimal system of protection against it. However, there is a need for a detailed analysis of the Russian information campaign during 2014–2021. It is necessary to identify the trends that were inherent in 2022 and to predict the further development of information support for Russian aggression