Hybrid media warfare: Discourse analysis of Russian and Ukrainian MFA websites on the Bucha Incident

In the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, the Bucha Incident has sparked extensive debates and diverse narratives, making it an important lens for examining public communication. This paper analyzes the narrative competition presented on the official websites of the Russian and Ukrainian Ministries of Foreign Affairs (MFAs). By applying Fairclough’s 3D Model of Discourse Analysis, the study finds that the two countries construct their narratives in distinctly different ways. Ukraine adopts an appealing framework, using emotionally driven stories to accuse Russia of committing a civilian massacre. By contrast, Russia employs an evidentiary framework to deny such accusations, emphasizing what it regards as gaps in the evidence of Ukraine’s narratives. This discursive rivalry can be viewed as a form of hybrid media warfare, where the control of public opinion is the key to gaining international support.