MULTI-STEP APPROACH FOR DISINFORMATION – ANALYSIS OF 'UKRAINIAN TRADES US-DONATED WEAPONS' NARRATIVE

The article focuses on building a model of disinformation campaigns using network analysis and digital humanities methods.The article explores how Russia can increase distrust in providing assistance to Ukraine by spreading a repetitive narrative in various forms.Examples of "active measures" -a combination of disinformation, propaganda, and information operations to influence foreign public opinion and policy -are considered, using the example of the arms sales narrative.The purpose of this article is to develop a model of recurring disinformation campaigns that Russia is waging against Ukraine.The article discusses the detailed steps that symbolize a systematic approach to spreading disinformation and building a narrative based on publications in the media and social networks.The author shows that in order to consolidate the narrative, authoritarian countries use methods of external validation, i.e., the dissemination of information by foreign media or social media users.It is also determined that the multi-step structure of a disinformation campaign is used to complicate the process of debunking this false information by independent sources and researchers.The article outlines that this model can serve as a basis for future research, as well as debunking by competent actors in order to effectively counter such campaigns.It also identifies the structure and evolution of these campaigns, which provides key stakeholders in democratic societies, including politicians, media professionals, and civil society, with the opportunity to better anticipate threats in the information space, identify manipulative narratives, and build resilience.The broader implications of this study go beyond the Ukrainian context, offering a methodological framework applicable to the approaches of other authoritarian states used against democratic countries that are vulnerable to disinformation and influence operations.