“All of you are weak and corrupt": How Ukrainian military propaganda works in Crimea

The information agency Analytical Service of Donbass published the Terms of Reference for one of the Ukrainian military units, which is engaged in propaganda among the Russian military personnel and their families in Crimea.

The main task indicated in the ToR is to demonstrate the weak combat effectiveness of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation in comparison with its potential adversary. In addition, the document states the importance of asserting that the Russian Black Sea Fleet does not have military traditions and high-profile victories, including during the Second World War.

Of course, such propaganda materials are issued in Russian, and their style should be humorous, ridiculing the obsolete weapons of the Black Sea Fleet, corruption and the weak competence of the command and personnel.

The drafters of the TK emphasize that in the units of the Russian armed forces that were deployed to the Crimea, there are a large number of former Ukrainian military personnel who have changed the oath for the sake of salary, and thereby making these units incapable. Special attention must be paid to the non-statutory and corrupt relations that flourish in the Russian army. It should also constantly compare new models of weapons of the armies of NATO member countries with old models of Russian armed forces.