https://www.geopolitic.ro/2019/07/media-fakes-fake-checking-means-realization-opposition-information-war-kremlin-vs-west/

Nr. 2 (78) / 2019 al revistei Geopolitica are ca tema: MAREA NEAGRA – STRATEGII 2020

MEDIA FAKES AND FAKE CHECKING AS MEANS OF REALIZATION AND OPPOSITION IN THE INFORMATION WAR KREMLIN vs WEST

BY HTTPS://WWW.GEOPOLITIC.RO/AUTHOR/

(Black Sea themes)1

Mar’yan ZHYTARYUK

Abstract. The article shows the aggression of the RF against the West with means of information and psycho–logical warfare – with the help of inventions, misinformation, fake. The presence or absence of opposition from the Ukraine’s, the European Union’s, the United State’s side is actually a litmus test for adequacy, compliance, maturity, ethics, or cynicism among politicians, journalists and observers, countries and regions. Also, the author believes that the enemy can not be underestimated under no circumstances, because it can lead to defeat. Therefore, in the context of information warfare and in order to balance the informational and disinformation regional and global communications spheres, today Ukraine needs to return to the idea of the possibility of training specialists in information and psychological work.

Key words: Russian aggression, effectiveness of information confrontation, media fake, fakcheking, analytics, misinformation, information psychological work.

Key words: 1 Переклад з української – Вікторія Житарюк, магістр журналістики

 Doctor of Science in Social Communications, Full Professor, Professor at the Department of Foreign Press and Information Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Ukraine

У статті показано агресію РФ проти Заходу засобами інформаційно-психологічної війни – з допомогою вигадок, дезінформації, фейків. Наявність або відсутність протистояння з боку України, Європейського Союзу, США – фактично лакмусовий тест на адекватність, відповідність, зрілість, етичність, або ж цинізм політиків, журналістів та оглядачів, країн та регіонів. Також автор вважає, що за жодних умов не можна недооцінювати ворога, бо це може призвести до поразки. Тому в умовах інформаційної війни і з метою встановлення балансу на інформаційному та дезінформаційному регіональному та глобальному просторах комунікації, сьогодні Україні необхідно повернутися до ідеї про можливість підготовки фахівців з інформаційно-психологічної роботи.

Ключові слова: агресія Росії, ефективність інформаційного протистояння, медійні фейки, фактчекінг, аналітика, дезінформація, інформаційно-психологічна робота.

The media fictions are deliberate, well-planned and organized fabrications, lies, defamation, slander, etc., broken down by traditional (newspapers, magazines, radio, television) and new media (sites, blogs and convergence) and new, new media (social networks including personal pages), or free and dominant information beyond the will of the recipient[2]. The latter (new new media) can not be considered as mass media in the classical sense of the word (such as profession, creativity, production capacity, with professional and ethical standards following), but their targeting, efficiency, and are multiplied by the implementation of the needs and intentions of the addressee, are able to overcome any boundaries and barriers practically instantaneously, the coefficient of usefulness is not less, but quite often – higher than in other mass media. It is as chemical or bacteriological weapon, which does not directly cause a fire strike, but almost always reaches the goal. Some people (recipients) almost instantly recognize the fake, but the majority of the audience which – not is enough experienced, very confident and even naive, is unable to recognize the truth, to distinguish it from fiction, at least immediately and independently.

Fakchecking is one of the most common, fairly effective methods and tools for fighting fake. Sometimes, even experienced journalists criticize scholars, so to speak, why it’s invent a new term when there is an ordinary process in journalistic professional work – verification of facts. Some are inclined to equate fakcheking with a journalistic investigation. In a general, metaphorical sense, all these concepts can be put on one plane, as, for example, personification, metonymy and synecdoche (varieties of metaphors and types of trails). But to be precise, it must be said that fakchecking, fact-finding and journalistic investigation are close but different concepts. Why? Verification of facts is a refinement of data, information, on the basis of comparison of data, documents and testimonies, and determination of the possibility of publication. The journalistic investigation is a search for predominantly non-public, well-hidden public, socially and / or socially important information through in-depth study and active work of the investigative journalist, as well as insiders (the latter, of course, can not be called). Fakcheking is a check of facts from official and open sources plus their research, but without insider information, and the determining of a verdict, for example: True, it is not true, manipulation...

Analytics is the most perfect method in terms of comprehension and design of hypotheses and versions, the search for alternatives, etc., but not at all massive, that is, complex, non-public, unpopular from the point of view of the inhabitant it’s. The most effective and quite often indispensable in taking into account the positions and development of strategies by people plenipotentiary in coming to a decision.

Deza, misinformation work on the enemy’s territory. Anthony in to “informational work”. That is the right information, but appropriate (desirable) for the transmitter and inappropriate (undesirable) for the recipient. In a hybrid war, where psychological and information operations, lingua-psychological programming, etc. are used, is required to maintain tone and status. Together with fakcheking, analytics, the deza significantly increases the chances of neutralizing the fake message of the opponent, and is able to establish information superiority and even domination.

The confrontation of the RF against the West – is the obvious thing: this is not a fake, and fakcheking is superfluous here. However, the same confrontation is actually a litmus test for adequacy, compliance, maturity, ethics, cynicism of Western politicians, journalists and observers, countries and regions in the form of sanctions, but not sectoral ones, which would cause a more significant blow. Everyone knows about economic sanctions against certain Russian businessmen and politicians and a number of Russian enterprises introduced for the annexation of the Ukrainian Crimea, but many in today’s Europe (in different countries) would like to see these sanctions, if not completely removed, at least weaken. Sometimes motivation – even according to F. Mogherini and A. Merkel – is, quite strange that is: the implementation of the Minsk agreements. But, firstly, the Minsk agreements between the terrorists and the Moscow invaders were and are not fulfilled (it is worth mentioning Putin’s decree concerning an introducing a Russian passport system among Ukrainian citizens in temporarily occupied territories[3], which was condemned by Western leaders and international institutions). Secondly, it was already forgotten that the sanctions were intended not for the Donbas, but for the Crimea, which, in honor to of the international community, has not been recognized as the territory of the Russian Federation.

There is no shortage of reasons for hesitation regarding sanctions, support for the Kremlin’s lobbying.

For example, these are the consequences of information warfare, religious and cultural confrontation (according to Kremlin figures, such as S. Lavrov, soft power) of the RF against the other world; political corruption of Russia (bribery of Western politicians, creation and maintenance or sponsorship of political and public projects of the pro-Kremlin branch); economic lobbying and financial corruption (projects for the construction of gas pipelines and their implementation on the bottom of the Baltic and Black Seas, nuclear projects in the Third World countries); demonstration of biceps and warriors (Georgia, Ukraine, Syria); indecision of Western leaders; the impotence of international organizations (OSCE, UN); delaying of real reforms in Ukraine; banal fatigue, etc. The list is somewhat chaotic, incomplete, but not less than correct.

Conducting a hybrid war against the West, the official Kremlin does not restrict itself in using different methods and techniques - both civilized and, seemingly, totally unacceptable. And the logic of the contender for the role of the world gendarme can be understood: it works, pushes the enemy into a stupor, depriving him of the ability to respond adequately and timely. It is impossible to understand the other: why does the world community, which was as hands of V. Putin team victim and a toy in for a rather long time actually (except to financial and economic levers) further stubbornly underestimates the enemy? Why did not she work out an effective strategy of confrontation and further victory in the civilization war along the “West-East” axis? Numerous worries about the various actions of Moscow political and military leaders, ineffective appeals and condemnation regarding the observance of the rights and freedoms of Russian citizens and Ukrainians prisoners, on the contrary, give additional incentives to Putin not to stop but only to build up confrontation and, thus further to check the strength of western institutions and political unions.

As we have already noted, one of the most effective methods is the information warfare and the implementation of soft power policies. Why it’s necessary to fight in Europe in the literal sense of the word, if you can shake up the situation supporting terrorist acts (France), implementing scenarios with migrants, opposing the EU new challenges every time? There are enough polygons in Ukraine and Syria, even to divert attention from the civilizational occupation in safe Europe.

Fakes on television and in the Internet in the Moscov’s struggle against the West are sufficiently effective in Europe. It is the easiest way to spread the lie and the fabrications. The Army of Russian bomber manipulators block an adequate reaction and implement the Kremlin scenarios in social networks in Western countries. The situation often does not fit into the common sense and comes to a paradox: the Germans, the victory over those in the Second World War is still fanatically celebrated in the Russian Federation, which frankly attributed the victory of the anti-Hitler coalition exclusively to itself, these Germans, I’m repeating, their politicians and businessmen, would like to withdraw sanctions from the RF. Hungarians and Czechs as have though forgotten that at one time, blood was shed from Soviet tanks on the streets of their capitals (Budapest, 1956 and Prague, 1968), and their land was trampled by boots of Soviet soldiers, which the present-day Moscow actually identifies with the concept of “Russian”. Therefore politicians from Budapest and Prague often create a pro-Kremlin situational anti-Ukrainian and pro-Russian coalition (including both language and education, and with regard to national minorities), trying to draw potential allies in Warsaw, Sofia, Bucharest into their dirty play and the pro-Moscow orbit.

In its open aggression against the West, with the so-called the soft power of the Russian Federation does not deter any means. For example, on the TVC agreed that Ukrainian scholars consider that the Black Sea was paying attention! – dug up by the ancient Ukrainians, that Santa Claus (Did Moroz) is forbidden in Ukraine, that Stepan Bandera is Jesus Christ, Noah and Spartak were Ukrainians, etc.! [4] Is it possible to interpret Ukrainian as a scientist after this seriously? Of course it is not. Can such TV channels that in the Russia of Putin’s era exist as clones in the formation of the agenda, propagandists and manipulators, be considered as mass media, and not tools for zombing, propaganda and manipulation?

It is important to give a short reference about the joint-stock company “TV Center”. Information about what position do they adhere to will be taken from the site of the TV company: “one of the leading Russian TV companies”, “since 2013 TV Center» is included in the first multiplex – dozens of nationwide obligatory public TV channels”, “the federal television channel, that in the around the clock regime talks about politics and economy, social sphere and international events, science and technology, culture, history and sports”, “seriously, honestly and relevantly – about everything that cares about the inhabitants of Russia”, “transfers it’s TV guides are reviewed in all 85 subjects of the Russian Federation, and its audience is roughly ... 146 million people”, “the international version of the channel is reviewed by the people in the CIS, Baltic, East and West Europe, Canada, in the United States, in the Middle East and North Africa. In total, this is about 32 million viewers”^{^[5]}. If the information about the number of viewers is correct, then it is astonish: 146 and 32 million is 178 million, or more than one third of the total population of the EU, in which, by 2018, there were 503 million inhabitants! [6]

On the popular StopFake resource, which proves itself as a means of fight with false information about events in Ukraine, as long as in in January 2015, the information about the Black Sea mines from the Ukrainians in the filing of the TVC presenting was refuted[7]. It is proved here that the book of some Edmund Kvasiv, on the Russian TV channels, “A History of Ukrainians from the Beginning to the Present Day”, as though published in Kyiv at the publishing house “Prosvita”, is an overall fiction, however nobody knows such a historian, the publishing house has never published such book! There is neither a man nor a book, but there are fictitious quotations that are still circulated! It is said about the “handmaking” of Black Sea that is a fake, but it didn’t said about other fake from the same TVC material. In addition, what is the audience in the TVC, and what is in StopFake? Despite the fact that the same theme is raised on another resource – FakeOff, where in the publication “Who are the Ukrainians? Why do they need the Black Sea? “Fake is from Russia” Pavel Poniatowski ridicules the leading news editor of the TV channel Anna Prokhorova[8]. He actually thinks that those who have read, have heard, have seen a refutation, there are at times, in dozens, and sometimes hundreds of times less than those who have perceived a lie, not as a lie, but as the truth. And there is in this the greatest insidiousness of information killers, which formed the backbone of the Russian information forces and against which there is virtually no antidote, that is, an effective, timely and adequate counteraction.

Let’s recall other fake on the Black Sea theme.

News agency “The RIA Novosti” blamed the statement by F. Mogherini in Strasbourg on October 23, 2018[9], in which it was said that the Russian Federation, grossly disregarding international law, after the annexation of the Crimea, had actually taken possession of the Black and Azov Seas, forgetting that the Black Sea is European. I quote:

“We all agreed to the basic principle that our frontiers cannot be changed by military force. This is a principle, this is a value, on which our common living together is based. This is also a fundamental interest of all Europeans, because this is the foundation of peace and security on our European continent. When this principle is violated – as it has been (the point is about the annexation of the Crimea and Azov Sea militarization – M.Z.)– we are all less secure in our continent”; “The events in the Sea of Azov are a demonstration of this: when the basic rules of peaceful coexistence are disregarded, instability and tensions are bound to rise. The construction of the Kerch Bridge between the Crimean peninsula and the Russian Federation took place without Ukraine’s consent, and it constitutes another violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. On top of that, the bridge hinders the passage of vessels to Ukrainian ports in the Azov Sea”; “…the Black Sea is a European sea, and we do not want to witness yet another military build-up in our immediate region. We will continue to push for the respect of international law and conventions, and to support Ukraine in these challenging circumstances” [10].

The Black Sea is naturally a European one, because besides Russia, Georgia and Ukraine (these are also countries in Europe, though not in the European Union), it washes the banks of the EU countries – Bulgaria and Romania, and Turkey (which, just like all named states, is the member of the Council of Europe). But the political critique of the militarization of the Black Sea region is not pleasant for Russia, therefore, after the Kremlin scenario very strange, practically meaningless, indignant accusations and objections appeared.

A number of blogs and news resources reported about Russian military provocation in the Black Sea in April 2014, about 27 members of the crew of American destroyer “Donald Cook” filed a report on resignation after they were conducting patrol, Russian fighter SU-24 flew 12 times in close proximity near their ship. In fact, to put it mildly, the situation was a bit different. And this is detailed in the publication “Lies: the crew of an American destroyer scared of the Russian fighter” on the site StopFake[11].

The table shows what was really and how was it commented on, and what did the Kremlin intelligence forces invent.

What was really[12]

What is a fake, a fiction

Colonel Steve Warren:

“This provocative and unprofessional Russian action is inconsistent with their national protocols and previous agreements on the professional interaction between our militaries”, - said Colonel Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman.

Warren said a Russian Su-24 aircraft, or Fencer, made 12 passes at low altitude near the USS Donald Cook, a destroyer that has been in the Black Sea since April 10. It appeared to be unarmed, he told reporters.

“The incident lasted 90 minutes and took place on Saturday evening while the U.S. ship was conducting a patrol in international waters in the western Black Sea, Warren said. The ship is now in a Romanian port”.

Pentagon Colonel Steve Warren called these maneuvers “frightening and unacceptable as it demoralizes the personnel of the ship and negatively affects the overall psychological climate among the military” (our selection – M. Zh.). After all, after this experience, “27 brave seamen from the destroyer, “Donald Cook” filed reports on dismissal (the information is unconfirmed, but it sounds beautiful)” [13].

“Members of the ship crew go off the necessary procedures with the psychologist to recover from the stress...” [14]

So-called event fake became usual. For example, on the background of Ukraine’s preparations for the second round of the presidential elections was reported in Russia that NATO was seeking to exacerbate the situation in the Black Sea region, as Turkish, Romanian, Bulgarian and Dutch ships entered Ukrainian and Georgian ports. Such opinion was expressed by Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Defense Yuri Shvytkin.

According to a StopFake resource that finds out false and lies, some Russian experts went even further and stated that NATO purposely “provoked” Russia. According to Konstantin Blokhin, an expert of the Center for Research on Safety Issues of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Alliance uses any country that is located next to Russia in its interests: “Georgia, NATO and Ukraine show together some anti-Russian orientation. All this is done in order to make Russia nervous” [15]. In fact, large-scale navy training of NATO, Ukraine and Georgia began on April 5th. y., and the North Atlantic Alliance ships entered Ukrainian and Georgian ports (as it was planned a long time ago), a little earlier – on April 1 – due to the need to coordinate joint actions during exercises.

Incidentally, the StopFake team exposed fake from the Russian Federation regarding multinational military exercises in Ukraine many times. For example, the fabrication of campaigners and white-stone propagandists that the admission of foreign troops into the territory of Ukraine was made for the final collapse of the country was completely false.

Another very popular fiction in Russia, the classic manipulation of their information forces, is that the feasible desire of Ukraine and Georgia to NATO membership “threatens Russia’s security”, and the main object of Brussels’s cooperation with Tbilisi and Kiev is “provoking the Kremlin. Sufficient argument in this regard is the statement by NATO Secretary General Yens Stoltenberg on April 4 thy. He said that Ukraine and Georgia are sovereign states that can build their foreign policy at their discretion without agreeing with Russia” (listen to audio from 10:21)^{^[16]}.

Previous fakes is only a fraction of a powerful disinformation potential. In the same spirit, the Kremlin agitprop humiliates and ridicules any pro-Ukrainian or pro-European initiatives. For example on February 5th the warriors of fabrication (“Free Press”,” Izvestia”, “RIA Novosti “and other propaganda media) also spoke about the fact that Moldova surrenders Transnistria to Russia for the sake of joining NATO for the sake of joining NATO. StopFake quotes Lenta.ru: “The country is ready to abandon (from Transnistria – ed.), if it becomes a stumbling block for the development of cooperation with NATO and accession to the European Union” [17]. “Vesti” summarize: “If it turns out that countries with unresolved territorial problems can not enter the EU, Chisinau is ready to refuse to reintegrate with Transnistria” [18]. In fact, a politician from Chisinau, Speaker of the Moldova Parliament Andrian Kandu, in his interview to the Ukrainian Internet media “European Truth” said another: “Personally, I believe: we can arrange if Russia gets the guarantees of Moldova’s non-accession to NATO, as well as guarantees that Moldova will not unite with Romania, that the Russian people will not be deprived of the rights guaranteed by the the international standards to the minorities – then we will be able to arrange about an international peacekeeping mission in Transnistria, not Russian one, on the export (or liquidation) huge repository weapons storage facility, which is located there. And at the same time, we will give the widest possible autonomy to Transnistria – even broader than Gagauzia has”. Asked about what will happen to the Moldova’s movement to the EU, Kandu replied that “there can not be any discussion here. It is definitely our future. This is not the price of the Moldova reintegration, which can be discussed. If it turns out that the price is a refusal of European integration, then our answer will be – no, we are not ready to pay such a price” [19]. That is, the Kremlin will not force the official Chisinau to abandon the pro-Western course of the country and accession to the European Union, and all the conditions for Chisinau is put forward by Russia, and not by the European Union, as follows from the reports of agitprop.

On November 25, 2018, in neutral waters of the Black Sea, near the Crimea, an act of military aggression of the naval forces of the Russian Federation against the navy forces of Ukraine took place. Most of the media, both Ukrainian and international, either by mistake or by incompetence, reported the attack as an incident in the Kerch Strait. In fact, the use of large-scale weapons, a powerful attack on rags and abandoned seagulls, which the occupiers still do not recognize as prisoners of war, can hardly be called an incident. This is – firstly. Secondly, in the Kerch Strait, under the bridge, there was a first delay of navigation, and subsequently the impossibility of the ships movement in connection with the overpass of the fairway with the help of the Russian tanker. When it became clear that the Russian military would not let pass Ukrainian boats through the Strait for further follow-up to the Ukrainian ports of Berdyansk and Mariupol, the Ukrainian military command ordered to return to a permanent base to the port of Odessa. Despite the accumulation of military capabilities at sea and in the air, it was still naive to assume that there was a misunderstanding in the Kerch Strait, there was an incident that has not yet been resolved. However, when about 19:00 the Ukrainian Navy’s ships began moving to exit the Azov Sea pursueing by of the Russian Navy, it became clear that this is something more than an incident, and it has not been resolved. Around 20.20, after leaving the 12-mile coastal zone, in international waters of the Black Sea, Russians attacked Ukrainian boats (see video of the ram’s[20]). The small armored artillery boat “Berdyansk” was damaged, he lost his turn. Ukrainian sailors were injured on board. As on 22.00 two Ukrainian ships were captured and six sailors were injured: the list of trophies was supplemented by a raiding tugs “Yana Kapu”. Instead, the small armored artillery boat “Nikopol” is blocked and followed by the invaders[21].

As a result of the open aggression of Russia’s armed forces against Ukraine, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, the UN Security Council was convened, a one-month military status was announced in ten regions of Ukraine (those having access to the seas and close to the border to Transnistria Vinnytsia region), the western countries, whose representatives condemned Russia’s open military aggression against Ukraine took Ukraine’s side again. Meanwhile, our northern neighbors interpreting, Ukraine and Ukrainians once again emerged as entirely fools – with “three rusty boats”, the president – as “the new Ukrainian Führer”, which specifically provoked a conflict, and so on. StopFake notices that after an attack in Russian propaganda media aggressive information campaign was intensified and accelerated. Here, do not deteriorate the usual techniques for spreading fake and manipulations[22].

A little time passes, and already on December 12, 2018, the media resource StopFake again sounds the alarm: “Russian propaganda media continue to distribute fake and manipulations associated with events unfolding in the waters of the Azov and Black Seas. Thus, the last reason for such an interpretation was the resolving by Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in the second reading of the Law “On the Adjacent Marine Zone of Ukraine”, established in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea” [23].

Anna Romanash made enough solid press round-up (“Russia has been for an year distributing fake documents about the Sea of Azov while preparing for the Kerch crisis (world press)” [24].The author focuses on how the British newspaper “The Guardian” reported on a campaign for misinformation, which Russia began a year before the events in the Kerch Strait in order to justify its aggression in the face of Europeans, she also recalls the online media “EUobserver”, in its opinion Russia has used propaganda to destabilize the Ukrainian East and to incite the protests in France and Montenegro to identify how the EU will respond to the propaganda; she draws attention to the discrepancies in the interpretation of the Holodomor in Ukraine and in the West (“New Eastern Europe” Magazine)...

In the context of need for real confrontation not to survive, but to victory in the Black Sea region and global geopolitics, the words of the President of Romania Klaus Werner Johannis, pronounced in February, can be considered appropriate. During a speech at the Munich Conference on Security Issues, he said about the need to strengthen the presence of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the Black Sea region: “As the European Union implements its sanctions decisions, it must continue to do so. NATO must further strengthen its deterrence and defense capabilities at the eastern border. That is why Romania strongly supports the strengthening of cohesion on the eastern flank. Moreover, in the Black Sea region, where the security environment is increasingly confronted with challenges, as we have seen recently, a greater NATO presence is required” [25].

It would be easier to resist fake if they were accidental and scary episodes in the information space, but under the conditions when Russian television and the Internet, including social networks, turned from means of informing and communication methods to global and total facets, a real counteraction, besides fakchecking, unfortunately, is rather problematic, not always systemic and, of course, not total and not global. Although certain attempts and successful examples also take place on the front of counterpropaganda, which is based on truth, competence, timeliness, systematic character, that is, qualitative analytics. For example, in the article “The United States took seriously control of Russia in the Black Sea” in the subdivision “Why is not the Turkish “NATO” navy in the Black Sea enough” Vyacheslav Masnyi emphasizes that even without US ships, the NATO bloc has quite enough means in the Black Sea to threaten Russia. “The navy of the NATO’s member Turkey, even without the support of the forces of Bulgaria and Romania, seriously prevails the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation. Unfortunately, it is impossible to set hopes on Turkey entirely on the current state of Russian-Turkish relations” [26], because “Turkey, in accordance with the terms of the convention, has the right to pass military ships through the Black Sea channels at its own discretion in the event of a military threat. If this threat really comes from Russia, it is more likely that Turkey will turn towards its military bloc” [27]. Therefore, the constant presence of NATO warships in the northern Black Sea region is really necessary to prevent a repeat of the Kerch scenario. “Realizing this need, NATO constantly sends ships and patrol groups to the Black Sea. If in 2017 the NATO patrols were in the Black Sea for a total of 80 days totally, then in 2018 there will be 120. And in 2019, it would obviously have to wait for an even longer duration of military missions of NATO navies in the Black Sea” [28].

On the other hand, one can not but agree with the author that “the Ukrainian military fleet must still be the main protection of our (Ukrainian. – M. Zh.) shores and sea spaces” [29]. But it is rather weak, therefore, unfortunately, is currently prematurely to speak about the open confrontation with the Russian navy forces. President Poroshenko’s five-year plan has been marked by some attempts to attract our Western allies in the fight against the Russian Federation in favor of the development of the Ukraine’s navy forces, in particular, of the development of infrastructure and navy composition of the fleet, but this effort is clearly not enough. Paradoxically, the problem was revealed even by US combat boats for Ukraine, which are still at the disposal of the United States[30]. So, it’s naive to hope for a rapid growth of Ukraine’s military power in the navy. Almost everything created by Ukraine for the development of the Navy over 20 years of independence was lost during the annexation by Russia of Crimea in the spring of 2014.

The magazine “Black Sea Security” is authoritative in expert circles and analytic centres (founder – the Center for assistance to the geopolitical problems and Euro-Atlantic cooperation of the Black sea region studies “Nomos” (Sevastopol), publisher – Centre for Global Studies “Strategy XXI” (Kyiv)) in the joint report “Military Development of Crimea” enumerates “military trophies” – the navy warships of Ukraine captured during the occupation of the Crimea, for which the occupation authorities form new crews in the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation: “1. “Konstantin Olshansky” large landing ship (98 people crew); 2. “Prydniprovia” missile boat (corvette) (44 people crew); 3. “Lutsk “small anti-submarine ship (corvette) (90 people crew); 4. “Ternopil “small anti-submarine ship (corvette) (90 people crew); 5. “Khmelnytsky “small anti-submarine ship (corvette) (36 people crew); 6. “Chernigov “trawler (68 people crew); 7. “Cherkasy” trawler (68 people crew); 8. “Slavutich “control ship (129 people crew). The number of these crews and coastal personnel will add yet thousand people more to the number of the RF Black Sea Fleet personnel in the occupied Crimea. Russian troops in Crimea include surface and submarine forces of the Black Sea Fleet”[31].

Under current conditions, Ukraine needs to join NATO. And the faster, the better for everyone, except for the Russian Federation. There is no other way of establishing a real balance in the Black Sea region. As long as the Kremlin feykometes (television, the press, radio, new media and new new media) divert the attention of the world to trifles and quasi-problems, Ukraine and its allies in the Black Sea cooperation (Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, NATO as a whole, the EU) must remember the bitter the reality – both about the restoration of nuclear potential in the Crimea and the build-up of the Russian armed forces in the region and on the bold plans and imperial interests of the Kremlin to redistribute forces and interests in transforming the political map of Europe from the standpoint of force, not international law, and therefore must learn to really confront the aggressor from a position of strength, not express concern or anxiety.

Like the eve of the Second World War, the diplomatic appeasement of the aggressor in A. Hitler and the Third Reich is ineffective. Bohdan Yaremenko, the former Ukrainian Consul General in Istanbul, chairman of the “Maydan of Foreign Affairs” Foundation (expert and public platform for foreign policy) [32], in the comments “The Black Sea region between the US, the EU and Russia”, in September 2017 correctly set the emphasis: “Russia will continue to use all available resources to secure dominance in the Black Sea region. It is not known \ it is unclear \ difficult to predict how much in reality it has political, economic and military resources to achieve this goal... The United States has no doctrine or strategy in the region. From the point of view of the processes of the last decade, the United States has been pursuing inconsistent and sometimes controversial policies regarding the most important events or processes in the region” [33].

As you know, an underestimation of the enemy is a conceptual error and a path to defeat. It can not be assumed under any conditions, even in the format of informational and psychological confrontation. One of the features of information warfare is resources: intellectual, financial, moral, etc. They are not limitless. Instead of creating competitive texts and projects, demonstrations of positive visions of the universe, as observed in the pages of the magazines “Black Sea Security” (Kyiv), “Geopolitics “(Bucharest), many talented authors have to spend their strength and time, talent and ability to refute fabrications, allegations and lies in the form of verdicts such as “the truth” – “wrong” – “manipulation”... Of course, this negatively affects both the efficiency and quality of communications, but it seems that only a few in the world are really concerned...

Our old initiatives, expressed in a series of articles and in the monograph “Socio-cultural model of journalism: traditions and innovation” in 2008 about the need for training specialists in information and psychological work, seem to be still relevant, because they still have to state: the defenselessness of the national information space Ukraine; the absence of a real system of information and disinformation counterbalances, even in the presence of the most patriotic rhetoric of the first persons in the state; neglect of the problem of Ukrainian press development offices abroad and so on[34]. Therefore, “inadequate response to accusations (slack, unprofessional) is equivalent to the absence of any reaction. The most qualified justification, firstly, allows us to understand and to interpret the exculpatory action as a confession of guilt, and secondly, as a rule, it is often little heard since there it’s secondary information, as if the information accompanying of the main information (often compromised) that has already been heard was recorded on which relied. Therefore, an adequate reaction during the information war with the help of disinformation is the possibility of a similar disinformation blow in response to an adequate (or greater) consequence (political, economic, moral harm...)” [35].

References

1. Bohdan Yaremenko, Tetiana Huchakova, Andrii Klymenko, Olha Korbut, Yurii Smelianskyi. Military Build-up of Crimea // Black Sea Security: analytical magazine. 2017. # 2 (30). P. 23-24 (14-33). URL: https://geostrategy.org.ua/images/bss_2_engl.pdf

2. http://toparmy.ru/istoriya-vojn/konflikty/su-24-i-esminec-donald-kuk-donald-cook-foto.html

3. http://www.tvc.ru/section/show/id/3

4. https://www.nato.int/nato_static_fl2014/assets/audio/audio_2019_04/20190404_190404d.mp3

5. https://www.stopfake.org/fejk-ukrainskie-uchenye-schitayut-chto-chernoe-more-vykopali-drevnie-ukry/

6. https://www.stopfake.org/lozh-ekipazh-amerikanskogo-esmintsa-ispugalsya-rossijskogo-istrebitelya/

7. New new media / Paul Levinson. Previous ed.: Boston, Mass.: Pearson, 2009.

8. Pavel Poniatowski. Кто такие укры? Зачем им Черное море? – Фэйк родом из России // ФэйкОфф. 2015. 5 февр. URL: http://fakeoff.org/history/kto-takie-ukry-zachem-im-chernoe-more-feyk-rodom-iz-rossii

9. Speech by High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini at the European Parliament plenary session on the situation in the Sea of Azov. Strasbourg, 2018, 23 October. URL: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-Homepage/52626/speech-hrvp-federica-mogherini-situation-sea-azov_en; Link to the video: https://ec.europa.eu/avservices/video/player.cfm?ref=I162142

10. UPDATE 1-Russian jet’s passes near U.S. ship in Black Sea “provocative” – Pentagon // Reuters. 2014. 14 april. URL: https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-russia-blacksea/update-1-russian-jets-passes-near-u-s-ship-in-black-sea-provocative-pentagon-idUSL2N0N60V520140414. Про це ж: https://www.stopfake.org/lozh-ekipazh-amerikanskogo-esmintsa-ispugalsya-rossijskogo-istrebitelya/

11. Бершадский Юрий. Российские СМИ возмутились словам Могерини о «европейском Черном море». Но оно действительно европейское // Инсайдер. 2018. 24 октября. URL: https://theins.ru/antifake/123852?fbclid=IwAR27IhCZIPye_kpRvjArjGtbQFpD_EojA824OPGBeF54zdQ70zajbXoMHnA

12. Війна у Керченській протоці: таран, штурмовики та захоплення українських кораблів // Українська правда. 2018. 25 листопада. URL: https://www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2018/11/25/7199243/

13. Житарюк Мар’ян. Соціокультурна модель журналістики: традиції і новаторство: Монографія. Львів: Простір-М, 2008. С. 315-316. URL: https://tmk-ti-vdpu.at.ua/_ld/0/30_monograf_a5_cd.pdf

14. Лавриш Юліана. Віртуальна реальність у системі нових медіа // Вісник Львівського університету. Серія Журналістика. 2019. Випуск 46. С. 320 (304–309) (Visnyk of the Lviv University. Series Journalism. 2019. Issue 46. P. 320 (304–309).

15. Ложь: экипаж американского эсминца испугался российского истребителя // StopFake. 2014. 16 апреля. URL: https://www.stopfake.org/lozh-ekipazh-amerikanskogo-esmintsa-ispugalsya-rossijskogo-istrebitelya/

16. Масний Вячеслав. США серйозно взялися контролювати Росію в Чорному морі // УНІАН. 2019. 26 лютого. URL: https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-polytics/2648775-ssa-serjozno-vzalisa-kontroluvati-rosiu-v-cornomu-mori.html

17. Напад Росії на українські кораблі: фейки і маніпуляції // StopFake. 2018. 28 листопада. URL: https://www.stopfake.org/uk/napad-rosiyi-na-ukrayinski-korabli-fejki-i-manipulyatsiyi/

18. Населення Європейського Союзу // Вікіпедія. останнє оновлення: 23 квітня 2019. URL: https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9D%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8F_%D0%84%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B5%D0%B9%D1%81%D1%8C%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE_%D0%A1%D0%BE%D1%8E%D0%B7%D1%83

19. Романдаш Анна. Росія рік поширювала фейки про Азовське море, готуючись до Керченської кризи (світова преса) // Радіо «Свобода». 2018. 11 грудня. URL: https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/29650610.html

20. Російське судно таранить українське в Чорному морі – відео. URL: https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/video-taranazov-sea/29620048.html

21. Румунія виступила за посилення присутності НАТО в Чорному морі // УНІАН. 2019. 16 лют. URL: https://www.unian.ua/politics/10448745-prezident-rumuniji-pidtrimav-posilennya-nato-v-chornomu-mori.html

22. Сидоренко Сергій. Молдовський спікер: Відмова від євроінтеграції? Ні, це не буде ціною повернення Придністров’я! // Європейська правда. 2019. 04 лютого. URL: https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/interview/2019/02/4/7092165/

23. США запропонували Києву прийняти декілька кораблів для ВМС України – екс-посол // УНІАН. 2018. 20 грудня. URL: https://www.unian.ua/war/10384269-ssha-zaproponuvali-kiyevu-priynyati-dekilka-korabliv-dlya-vms-ukrajini-eks-posol.html

24. Указ президента РФ «Об отдельных категориях иностранных граждан и лиц без гражданства, имеющих право обратиться с заявлениями о приеме в гражданство Российской Федерации в упрощенном порядке». 2019 р.,1 мая. URL: http://kremlin.ru/acts/news/60429

25. Украинские историки создают для населения псевдореальность // ТВЦ. 2014. 23 ноября. URL: http://www.tvc.ru/news/show/id/55735

26. Фейк: Молдова отказалась от Приднестровья в угоду НАТО // StopFake. 2019. 11 февраля. URL: https://www.stopfake.org/fejk-moldova-otkazalas-ot-pridnestrovya-v-ugodu-nato/

27. Фейк: НАТО, Украина и Грузия накаляют обстановку в Черноморском регионе // StopFake. 2019. 10 апреля. URL: https://www.stopfake.org/fejk-nato-ukraina-i-gruziya-nakalyayut-obstanovku-v-chernomorskom-regione/

28. Фейк: Україна затримуватиме в Чорному морі усі судна РФ і стрілятиме на ураження // StopFake. 2018. 12 грудня. URL: https://www.stopfake.org/uk/fejk-ukrayina-zatrymuvatyme-v-chornomu-mori-usi-sudna-rf-i-strilyatyme-na-urazhennya/

29. Яременко Богдан. Чорноморський регіон між США, ЄС та Росією // Новое время. 2017. 19 верес. URL: https://nv.ua/ukr/opinion/chornomorskij-region-mizh-ssha-jes-ta-rosijeju-1876473.html?prefer_lang=ukr

22.04 – 07.05.2019

[1] Переклад з української – Вікторія Житарюк, магістр журналістики

[2] Лавриш Юліана. Віртуальна реальність у системі нових медіа // Вісник Львівського університету. Серія Журналістика. 2019. Випуск 46. С. 320 (304–309) (Visnyk of the Lviv University. Series Journalism. 2019. Issue 46. P. 320 (304–309). Цит. за: New new media / Paul Levinson. Previous ed.: Boston, Mass.: Pearson, 2009.

[3] Указ президента РФ «Об отдельных категориях иностранных граждан и лиц без гражданства, имеющих право обратиться с заявлениями о приеме в гражданство Российской Федерации в упрощенном порядке». 2019 р.,1 мая. URL: http://kremlin.ru/acts/news/60429

^{^[4]} Украинские историки создают для населения псевдореальность // ТВЦ. 2014. 23 ноября. URL: http://www.tvc.ru/news/show/id/55735

^{^[5]} http://www.tvc.ru/section/show/id/3

^{^[6]} Населення Європейського Союзу. Див.: Вікіпедія.

^{^[7]}https://www.stopfake.org/fejk-ukrainskie-uchenye-schitayut-chto-chernoe-more-vykopali-drevnie-ukry/

^{^[8]}Pavel Poniatowski. Кто такие укры? Зачем им Черное море? – Фэйк родом из России // ФэйкОфф. 2015. 5 февр. URL: http://fakeoff.org/history/kto-takie-ukry-zachem-im-chernoe-more-feyk-rodom-iz-rossii

^{^[9]} Див.: Бершадский Юрий. Российские СМИ возмутились словам Могерини о «европейском Черном море». Но оно действительно европейское // Инсайдер. 2018. 24 октября. URL: https://theins.ru/antifake/123852?fbclid=IwAR27IhCZIPye_kpRvjArjGtbQFpD_EojA824OPGBeF54zdQ70zajbXoMHnA

[10] Speech by High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini at the European Parliament plenary session on the situation in the Sea of Azov. Strasbourg, 2018, 23 October. URL: https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-Homepage/52626/speech-hrvp-federica-mogherini-situation-sea-azov_en; Link to the video: https://ec.europa.eu/avservices/video/player.cfm?ref=I162142

^{^[11]} Цит. за: Ложь: экипаж американского эсминца испугался российского истребителя // StopFake. 2014. 16 апреля. URL: https://www.stopfake.org/lozh-ekipazh-amerikanskogo-esmintsa-ispugalsya-rossijskogo-istrebitelya/

^{^[12]} Цит. за: UPDATE 1-Russian jet's passes near U.S. ship in Black Sea 'provocative' – Pentagon // Reuters. 2014. 14 april. URL: https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-russia-blacksea/update-1-russian-jets-passes-near-u-s-ship-in-black-sea-provocative-pentagon-idUSL2N0N60V520140414. Про це ж: https://www.stopfake.org/lozh-ekipazh-amerikanskogo-esmintsa-ispugalsya-rossijskogo-istrebitelya/

[13] http://toparmy.ru/istoriya-vojn/konflikty/su-24-i-esminec-donald-kuk-donald-cook-foto.html

[14] https://www.stopfake.org/lozh-ekipazh-amerikanskogo-esmintsa-ispugalsya-rossijskogo-istrebitelya/

[15] Фейк: НАТО, Украина и Грузия накаляют обстановку в Черноморском регионе // StopFake. 2019. 10 апреля. URL: https://www.stopfake.org/fejk-nato-ukraina-i-gruziya-nakalyayut-obstanovku-v-chernomorskom-regione/

[16] https://www.nato.int/nato_static_fl2014/assets/audio/audio_2019_04/20190404_190404d.mp3

[17] Фейк: Молдова отказалась от Приднестровья в угоду НАТО // StopFake. 2019. 11 февраля. URL: https://www.stopfake.org/fejk-moldova-otkazalas-ot-pridnestrovya-v-ugodu-nato/

[18] Там само.

[19] Сидоренко Сергій. Молдовський спікер: Відмова від євроінтеграції? Ні, це не буде ціною повернення Придністров’я! // Європейська правда. 2019. 04 лютого. URL: https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/interview/2019/02/4/7092165/

[20] Російське судно таранить українське в Чорному морі – відео. URL: https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/video-taranazov-sea/29620048.html

[21] Війна у Керченській протоці: таран, штурмовики та захоплення українських кораблів // Українська правда. 2018. 25 листопада. URL: https://www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2018/11/25/7199243/

^{^[22]} Напад Росії на українські кораблі: фейки і маніпуляції // StopFake. 2018. 28 листопада. URL: https://www.stopfake.org/uk/napad-rosiyi-na-ukrayinski-korabli-fejki-i-manipulyatsiyi/

[23] Фейк: Україна затримуватиме в Чорному морі усі судна РФ і стрілятиме на ураження // StopFake. 2018. 12 грудня. URL: https://www.stopfake.org/uk/fejk-ukrayina-zatrymuvatyme-v-chornomu-mori-usi-sudna-rf-i-strilyatyme-na-urazhennya/

^{^[24]} Романдаш Анна. Росія рік поширювала фейки про Азовське море, готуючись до Керченської кризи (світова преса) // Радіо «Свобода». 2018. 11 грудня. URL: https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/29650610.html

[25] Румунія виступила за посилення присутності НАТО в Чорному морі // УНІАН. 2019. 16 лют. URL: https://www.unian.ua/politics/10448745-prezident-rumuniji-pidtrimav-posilennya-nato-v-chornomu-mori.html

[26] Масний Вячеслав. США серйозно взялися контролювати Росію в Чорному морі // УНІАН. 2019. 26 лютого. URL: https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-polytics/2648775-ssa-serjozno-vzalisa-kontroluvati-rosiu-v-cornomu-mori.html

[27] Там само.

[28] Там само.

[29] Там само.

[30] США запропонували Києву прийняти декілька кораблів для ВМС України – екс-посол // УНІАН. 2018. 20 грудня. URL: https://www.unian.ua/war/10384269-ssha-zaproponuvali-kiyevu-priynyati-dekilka-korabliv-dlya-vms-ukrajini-eks-posol.html

[31] Те ж саме англійською: Bohdan Yaremenko, Tetiana Huchakova, Andrii Klymenko, Olha Korbut, Yurii Smelianskyi. Military Build-up of Crimea // Black Sea Security: analytical magazine. 2017. # 2 (30). P. 23-24 (14-33). URL: https://geostrategy.org.ua/images/bss_2_engl.pdf

^{^[32]} Фонд «Майдан закордонних справ». URL: https://www.mfaua.org/uk/about

^{^[33]} Яременко Богдан. Чорноморський регіон між США, ЄС та Росією // Новое время. 2017. 19 верес. URL: https://nv.ua/ukr/opinion/chornomorskij-region-mizh-ssha-jes-ta-rosijeju-1876473.html?prefer_lang=ukr

[34] Див.: Житарюк Мар’ян. Соціокультурна модель журналістики: традиції і новаторство: Монографія. Львів: Простір-М, 2008. С. 315-316.

[35] Там само. С. 137.

"ГАРЯЧІ ТОЧКИ" ПЛАНЕТИ У ЗМІ

неділя, 26 лютого 2023 р.

Воєнна тематика. Статті М. Житарюка в українських наукових виданнях