ANATOMY OF PROPAGANDA: TOP 3 EVENTS OF THE WEEK
07/08/2023, 12:00
The vulnerability of objects in the depths of the Russian Federation remains one of the main challenges for state propaganda. The Kremlin's mouthpieces are trying to explain the regular "flyovers" over Moscow and the Russian Black Sea Fleet military bases. Externally, Moscow has focused on discrediting peaceful consultations involving countries of the global South.
At the beginning of the week, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu assured the Russian society that "additional measures have been taken to enhance protection against air and sea attacks." Shoygu did not specify what specific measures have been taken. Such a statement was an attempt to calm the population down in light of the increasing attacks by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on targets located deep within Russian territory. However, this not only failed to stop the UAV attacks but also highlighted the vulnerability of the Russian military to attacks by maritime drones - first, the large landing ship "Olenegorsky Gornyak" was hit, and then the Russian tanker "Sig".
The Kremlin has published a joint statement by Putin and the leaders of seven African countries following the meeting on July 28. It was dedicated to the African peace mission for resolving the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The statement calls for "specific steps to resume the export of Russian fertilizers and agricultural products for the full implementation of the grain deal." African countries are concerned about the blockade of Ukrainian food supplies, while Russia is demanding the easing of sanctions.
Moscow reacts to the peaceful initiatives of countries in the global South with extreme negativety. Negotiations about Ukraine took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: representatives from up to 30 countries were invited, but Russia was not among them. Initially, propaganda outlets, citing an unnamed source in Moscow, reported that resolving the Ukrainian crisis "is impossible without Russia's involvement and without taking into account its legitimate interests." Then, official spokespersons - Medvedev, Peskov, and others - joined in criticizing the consultations.
