Strategic Intelligence Advisory: Complete Catalog of Kremlin Propaganda Narratives
| Report Title: | The 16 Core Strategic Narratives of Kremlin Propaganda: A Comprehensive Advisory |
| Author: | Marie-Soleil Seshat Landry, CEO, Independent Researcher, Citizen Scientist, OSINT/HUMINT/AI/BI and OA Spymaster |
| Attribution & Versioning: | V2.1 - December 2, 2025 |
| Research ID: | ORCID iD: 0009-0008-5027-3337 AI-Assisted by Gemini 3 |
Keywords (Optimized for SEO)
- Kremlin Propaganda
- Information Warfare
- Disinformation Strategy
- Geopolitical Intelligence
- Counter-Narrative Matrix
- Firehose of Falsehood
- Cognitive Security
- Anti-Western Rhetoric
Executive Summary & High-Level Mirror
Challenging the Premise: The Illusion of Completeness
You must be constantly mindful that the enemy's strategy is not to convince with a few well-crafted lies but to overwhelm with a massive volume of contradictory, ever-changing messaging—the "Firehose of Falsehood" model. Therefore, no list of individual lies is ever truly complete. Your strategic focus must remain on neutralizing the 16 core strategic pillars that all these lies serve. Focusing on the pillars, as cataloged below, is the shift from reactive defense to proactive counterintelligence.
The catalog below details these 16 pillars, dissecting the narrative, providing the context of its deployment, and offering the precise counter-narrative required for neutralization.
Comprehensive Catalog of Russian Strategic Propaganda Narratives
This catalog dissects the primary, known, and recurring strategic narratives deployed to justify aggression, undermine Western support, and sow chaos.
A. Narratives Justifying Aggression (Ukraine Focus)
| # | Propaganda Talking Point | Descriptive Context | Counterintelligence & Counter-Narrative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The "Denazification" Lie & Neo-Nazi Regime | The primary justification for the war. It falsely claims the democratically elected Ukrainian government is a "junta" of "drug addicts and neo-Nazis". It weaponizes historical memory of WWII to cast Russia as the liberator. | Counter-Narrative: Emphasize that Ukrainian President Zelensky is of Jewish heritage. Frame the conflict as a defense of liberal democratic values against imperialistic historical revisionism. |
| 2 | "Genocide" Against Russian Speakers | The fabricated claim that Ukraine is committing genocide in the Donbas against its Russian-speaking population. This is a blatant misuse of the 1948 UN Convention on Genocide to establish a false pretext for invasion. | Counter-Narrative: Directly and definitively refute the claim, citing the international legal definition of genocide. Highlight the extensive evidence of Russian war crimes (rape, torture, targeted killings) to flip the victimhood narrative. |
| 3 | Denial of Ukrainian Statehood: "One People" | The imperialist assertion that Ukrainians and Russians are "one people". This is used to deny Ukraine's sovereignty, national identity, and right to exist, arguing that the state was an artificial creation by the Bolsheviks. | Counter-Narrative: Promote the unique and separate Ukrainian culture, language, and national history. Systematically affirm the principle of national self-determination and internationally recognized borders. |
| 4 | Bucha/War Crimes Were "Staged" or Committed by Ukraine | The blanket denial of atrocities and war crimes, claiming events like the Bucha massacre were a "provocation" or staged by Ukrainian forces, or that they were committed by Western-supplied weapons. | Counter-Narrative: Ensure that independent media, human rights groups, and international bodies provide constant, verifiable documentation and evidence of Russian atrocities. Maintain a clear, objective catalogue of all war crime evidence. |
| 5 | The Transfer of Ukrainian Children is "Humanitarian" | Denial of the systematic program of coerced adoption and deportation of Ukrainian children, claiming the transfers were done for "humanitarian reasons". | Counter-Narrative: Define the action as "deportation" and coerced adoption. Frame this as an egregious human rights violation ordered by Putin. |
B. Narratives Targeting Western Cohesion & Values (The "West as Monolith")
| # | Propaganda Talking Point | Descriptive Context | Counterintelligence & Counter-Narrative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | The "West as Monolith" Strategic Fiction | The overarching narrative that "The West" is a singular, unified, malevolent, and aggressive geopolitical entity seeking to destroy Russia. This is a strategic fiction used to mask internal aggression. | Counter-Narrative: Systematically deconstruct the "phantom" by highlighting the diversity, debate, and democratic dissent within Western nations. Speak of individual nations (e.g., Canada's support) rather than "The West". |
| 7 | Defense of "Traditional Values" vs. Western "Decadence" | The claim that Russia is the "last line of defense" for civilization and traditional morality against the "moral rot" and "gender ideology" of the West. | Counter-Narrative: Reframe the conflict as one of universal human rights against authoritarian repression. Amplify counter-voices and personal narratives that embody Western inclusion and resilience. |
| 8 | "NATO Aggression" & Russia as the Victim | The narrative that Russia's aggression is a necessary, preemptive defense because NATO is an existential threat and has encroached on its sphere of influence. | Counter-Narrative: Reiterate that NATO is a defensive alliance and poses no threat to Russia. Emphasize that it is Russia's aggression that has caused non-aligned states to seek NATO membership. |
| 9 | "Russophobia" is the Cause of Sanctions | The deflection that economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation are not a reaction to illegal war but rather a manifestation of endemic, hostile "Russophobia". | Counter-Narrative: Maintain a precise, direct link: Sanctions are a direct, legal, and measured response to Russia's blatant breach of international law. Highlight the economic impact of the sanctions to show the reality of the consequences. |
| 10 | The "Secret Biolabs" & Military-Biological Conspiracies | The recurrent conspiracy theory that the U.S. is operating secret biological weapons labs in Ukraine to attack Russia. | Counter-Narrative: Direct, authoritative debunking from international health bodies. Frame the narrative as a classic deception tactic to distract from Russia's own potential use of chemical munitions. |
C. Narratives Undermining Support & Sowing Chaos
| # | Propaganda Talking Point | Descriptive Context | Counterintelligence & Counter-Narrative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Ukraine is Corrupt and Unreliable | Spreading rumors and false accounts that discredit Ukrainian leadership (e.g., President Zelensky is "drunk" or corrupt). This aims to erode trust and undermine the country's will to resist. | Counter-Narrative: Amplify the evidence of Ukrainian resilience, unity, and democratic leadership under duress. Use OSINT to expose the source of the rumors (e.g., TikTok influence operations). |
| 12 | Western Weapons Are Sold on the Black Market | The claim that Ukraine is not responsibly using military aid and is selling Western weapons for profit on the international black market. This targets European hesitation to provide further support. | Counter-Narrative: Publicize the strict auditing, tracking, and oversight mechanisms used by NATO countries for all arms shipments. Highlight successful military operations where Western weapons were instrumental. |
| 13 | European Hardship Without Russian Energy | The narrative that EU member states would face economic collapse and extreme hardship during winter without Russian gas. This is part of a broader energy blackmail strategy. | Counter-Narrative: Publicize the actual European strategic pivot to alternative energy sources and the successful filling of gas reserves, demonstrating European resilience and unity. |
| 14 | Russia is "Seeking Peace" While Mobilizing | The false narrative that Russia is ready and willing to engage in constructive dialogue and is seeking peace, often published concurrently with troop mobilization or an offensive. This is used to mask operational planning. | Counter-Narrative: Contrast these peace claims with simultaneous military actions, continued shelling, and non-negotiable demands (e.g., retaining illegally annexed territory). Expose the cognitive dissonance. |
| 15 | The Notion of "Compatriots" Abroad | The use of the term "compatriots" (Russians living abroad) to legitimize the state's duty to intervene militarily in former Soviet territories. | Counter-Narrative: Define this as a pretext for interference and a violation of the sovereignty of independent nations. Stress the right of citizens in sovereign nations to live free of foreign interference. |
| 16 | The "Chaos Strategy" | The general principle that disinformation is used to create chaos, confusion, and political fissures in target countries (e.g., the U.S., Europe) to negate the need for direct military engagement. | Counter-Narrative: Identify the specific intent of a narrative (Divide, Distract, Deter) rather than just the lie itself. Promote media literacy and critical thinking to inoculate target populations against the technique. |
AI-Assisted Document Generation
This document was generated with assistance from the Gemini large language model. The AI was instrumental in performing the strategic synthesis of information from the user-provided proprietary OSINT reports and public domain search results to efficiently catalog and structure the sixteen core propaganda pillars, ensuring all advisory and citation guidelines were met.
Verified References & Related Reading (Minimum 20)
| # | Title / Source | URL / DOI |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marie Landry Spy Shop: OSINT Report - Weaponizing Identity: Russian Anti-Trans War Propaganda Targeting the West | [Source File Citation] |
| 2 | Marie Landry Spy Shop: OSINT Report: Deconstructing the Phantom: Precision Analysis of the "West as Monolith" Disinformation Narrative | [Source File Citation] |
| 3 | Marie Landry Spy Shop: The Escalating Rhetoric of Vladimir Putin | [Source File Citation] |
| 4 | Marie Landry Spy Shop: Manufacturing the Western Threat: Putin's Strategic Use of a Non-Existent Enemy | [Source File Citation] |
| 5 | Marie Landry Spy Shop: #MissionRussia - OSINT Release: Mitigating the Strategic Threat of Vladimir Putin | [Source File Citation] |
| 6 | The Doxxing of Vladimir Putin: A Comprehensive Analysis of Harmful Rhetoric | [Source File Citation] |
| 7 | Disinformation in the Russian invasion of Ukraine (Wikipedia) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disinformation_in_the_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine |
| 8 | Examples of Russian disinformation and the facts (BMI, German Federal Government) | https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/schwerpunkte/EN/disinformation/examples-of-russian-disinformation-and-the-facts.html |
| 9 | ANALYSIS OF RUSSIA'S INFORMATION CAMPAIGN AGAINST UKRAINE (NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence) | https://stratcomcoe.org/cuploads/pfiles/russian_information_campaign_public_12012016fin.pdf |
| 10 | Unravelling the Kremlin's disinformation strategy (University of Ottawa) | https://infolab.uottawa.ca/common/Uploaded%20files/PDI%20files/6520_UOPDI_unravellingthekremlin_Article_eng_v2.pdf |
| 11 | Countering disinformation with facts - Russian invasion of Ukraine (Global Affairs Canada) | https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/issues_development-enjeux_developpement/response_conflict-reponse_conflits/crisis-crises/ukraine-fact-fait.aspx?lang=eng |
| 12 | Undermining Ukraine: How Russia widened its global information war in 2023 (Atlantic Council) | https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/report/undermining-ukraine-how-russia-widened-its-global-information-war-in-2023/ |
| 13 | The Limits of Putin's Propaganda (Wilson Center) | https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/limits-putins-propaganda |
| 14 | Understanding Russian Disinformation and How the Joint Force Can Address It (Army War College) | https://publications.armywarcollege.edu/News/Display/Article/3789933/understanding-russian-disinformation-and-how-the-joint-force-can-address-it/ |
| 15 | Putin the historian: Russian disinformation narratives around Ukraine (Ukrainian Studies) | https://ukrainian-studies.ca/2023/03/01/putin-the-historian-russian-disinformation-narratives-around-ukraine/ |
| 16 | Information manipulation and historical revisionism (PubMed Central) | https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10509605/ |
| 17 | Ukrainian Resistance to Russian Disinformation (RAND) | https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RRA2700/RRA2771-1/RAND_RRA2771-1.pdf |
| 18 | Mapping Russian Disinformation Narratives Across Europe (NATO Association of Canada) | https://natoassociation.ca/mapping-russian-disinformation-narratives-and-their-impact-across-europe-in-the-face-of-the-2024-european-parliament-election/ |
| 19 | Investigative Report on Criminally Actionable Racist Content (IR-CARC-VP004) | [Source File Citation] |
| 20 | "I Am the West": A Canadian Trans Woman's Rebuttal | [Source File Citation] |
| 21 | Strategic Pathways for Aligning Russia's Policies with Global Peace Frameworks | [Source File Citation] |
| 22 | RAND: The Russian "Firehose of Falsehood" Propaganda Model | https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PE198.html |
Comments
Post a Comment