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OPINION SEPTEMBER 23, 2022 | The Indian Eye 12

The Ukraine–Russia Conflict

and Spread of Nuclear

Misinformation

The conflict, it seems, has acquired its own momentum. Both sides, in order to outgun each other,

possibly unintentionally, enter into the danger zone, or are crossing the red lines. Afterward, to escape from global
criticisms, both indulge in a misinformation campaign

RAJIV NAYAN

n 21 September 2022, and to
an extent, even on 22 Sep-
Otember 2022, Indian and in-
ternational media flashed the state-
ment of President Vladimir Putin
that Russia “…will certainly make
use of all weapon systems available to
us. This is not a bluff.” Some media
reports also carried Putin’s remarks
prefacing the above sentence “In the
event of a threat to the territorial in-
tegrity of our country and to defend
Russia and our people…”.
Both the sentences in combina-
tion convey a different meaning as
against only the remarks threatening
nuclear war. The remarks denoting
the nuclear threat, seen in isolation,
gives an impression of an aggressive
nuclear Russia ready to use its nu-
clear weapon to accomplish its war
aims. The remarks in combination
though change the impression of
Russia from being a blood-thirsty Russian President Vladimir Putin holds talks with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko to discuss the Ukraine issue
country to one that intends to defend
its territorial integrity through nucle- This does give the impression threatening to use WMD and blamed are indulging in such acts. This kind
ar weapons. that Putin’s statement was in re- them for shelling Zaporizhzhya Nu- of information warfare campaigns
Admittedly, the threat to use sponse to some perceived saber-rat- clear Power Plants, it is difficult to have become an accepted practice
weapons of mass destruction (WMD) tling by the other side, and Russia find a single high representative of and essential component of hybrid
has generated intense debates. Pu- was responding to such belligerence. any NATO country who has public- warfare.
tin’s statements brought into focus Putin went on to flag: ly threatened to use WMD against Quite significantly, in the Rus-
Russian nuclear policy thinking. Pu- “Western-encouraged shelling Russia. Even so, selective quoting of sia–Ukraine conflict, we find that
tin stated: of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Putin’s statements on nuclear issues not only the direct parties to the con-
“I would like to remind those Plant, which poses a threat of a nu- gives the impression of a Russia that flict are indulging in this game but
who make such statements regarding clear disaster but also to the state- is nuclear saber-rattling. also indirect or supporting actors.
Russia that our country has different ments made by some high-ranking Information warfare or propa- At times, it appears the agencies or
types of weapons as well, and some representatives of the leading NATO ganda, no doubt, is used to mobi- forces involved in this game become
of them are more modern than the countries on the possibility and ad- lize public opinion for and against a autonomous and perhaps exceed
weapons NATO [North Atlantic missibility of using weapons of mass country. From the very beginning of their brief. As a result, they become
Treaty Organization] countries have. destruction – nuclear weapons – this conflict, media has been used as a matter of concern for their own
In the event of a threat to the terri- against Russia.” an instrument to wage misinforma- governments or parties. For exam-
torial integrity of our country and to Russia has time and again, used tion warfare. Either select facts or ple, The Washington Post published
defend Russia and our people, we nuclear rhetoric to promote its stra- interpretations of the facts are pro- an investigative report, predomi-
will certainly make use of all weapon tegic objectives in the conflict. While jected to create an illusionary repre- nantly, shaped by Graphika and the
systems availa2ble to us. This is not Putin tried to paint Western coun- sentation. It is to be borne in mind Stanford Internet Observatory study,
a bluff.” tries as a villain by accusing them of that both Russia and its opponents Continued at next page... >>

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