Digital Defiance. Memetic Warfare and Civic Resistance

Abstract In the digital age, warfare has extended into the online realm, transforming the information sphere into a critical battlefield. Information warfare has become a crucial component of modern conflict, giving rise to diverse strategies and tactics. This article examines memetic warfare within the context of the Russia-Ukraine war, focusing on the battle for truth against Russian information pollution. Rooted in the Maskirovka strategy, Russia constructs false realities to mislead and manipulate audiences. In response, defensive memetic warfare has emerged, using memes infused with humour, sarcasm, and irony to sway public opinion, counter falsehoods, and promote media literacy. This study explores the role of the civic resistance group North Atlantic Fellas Organization, a decentralised movement, in combating pro-Russian narratives and targeting Russian information pollution. Through digital ethnographic research and contextual analysis, the study examines NAFO’s meme campaigns concerning significant issues indirectly affecting Ukraine, such as Russian propaganda, US President Trump, the US Republican party, and Russia’s network of allied states and actors.