The spread of disinformation as a strategy of Russian hegemony over the states of the post-Soviet space: the case of Ukraine

Abstract

The article examines Russian disinformation through the prism of the theory of hegemony. The author suggests that disinformation as the soft power is the tool which Russia has been using to maintain control over the post-Soviet space since 1991. However, the process intensified at the end of the second presidential term of Vladimir Putin. Also, the author describes the main channels through which disinformation spreads and how it is perceived. It is concluded that under current circumstances authorities of Ukraine using Western experience should take more restrictive measures to eliminate its influence.