Maps as a Powerful Weapon of Hybrid Warfare in the Context of Russia’s Modern Aggression against Ukraine

The article covers using cartographical products for propaganda purposes. The issue of map reliability is examined, which is given special importance in the present day. The main focus is placed on propaganda maps, which represent a type of tendentious map. Their use could play an important role in hybrid warfare, providing geographic data collection and analysis for decision-making. The experience of using propaganda maps is analysed. The content and meaning of the term Mapaganda as a form of propaganda are described. Examples of its use in disseminating inaccurate information about the borders of Ukraine, as well as the distortion of its borders on various cartographic images of certain world-famous map producers and distributors are outlined. In addition, the article reveals the current aspects of Ukraine’s resistance to propaganda in cartography and highlights the risks of using propaganda maps.