Russian Disinformation in the Arab World: A Case Study of the Biowarfare Campaign During the Russo-Ukraine War

ABSTRACT: As part of its war effort in Ukraine following its invasion in 2022, Moscow initiated a coordinated psychological operations (PSYOP) effort involving several simultaneous campaigns on a global level, including one in the Arab world that concentrated on accusations that the United States had engaged in a clandestine biological warfare programme in Ukraine. Focusing on a specific recent concrete propaganda campaign may provide a convenient real-world tool to gain an understanding of Russian objectives, observe in action the mechanics of this outreach to Arab audiences, of the Arab media landscape, and of the potential implications. The thesis of this study is that despite the considerable assets Moscow has invested in PSYOP targeting the Arab world, it is only able to reach limited audiences in its direct disinformation approach but that the further dissemination of Russian messaging by the local media, attributable to the political interests of local governments, may enable it reach a considerably wider audience.