ANATOMY OF PROPAGANDA: TOP-3 EVENTS OF THE WEEK

Eugene Prigozhin, who is losing his military influence, has de facto started his political career while Victor Medvedchuk again appeared in the Russian information space and propagandists outside focused on discrediting Georgian protests.

Eugene Prigozhin has gone beyond the daily military order and made several statements indicating obvious political ambitions. At the beginning of the week, the founder of Wagner PMC ridiculed Saint Petersburg's civilian governor Alexander Beglov in a dismissive way, suggesting he be “driven out with a bad whip”. Then, commenting on his own political prospects, he announced readiness to run for President of Ukraine (thus hinting at Russia). Finally, at the end of the week he revealed that Wagner PMC is about to be recharged and turned into largest ideological army. Prigozhin and his extensively propagandized paramilitary project are increasingly claiming for far-right political niche.

Victor Medvedchuk made a statement regarding the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, repeating the absurd theses of Russian propaganda. The Kremlin uses Medvedchuk to attempt indirect communication with the Ukrainian community. Moscow is still under the illusion that there are some significant pro-Russian social groups in Ukraine ready to support the occupiers. At the same time, Medvedchuk's statements serve to reinforce the distorted perception of Russians about the situation in Ukraine instilled by state propaganda.

Russian propaganda pays a great deal of attention to discrediting the protests of Georgian society against the so-called "foreign agent" bill. The key message fed by Kremlin media and speakers is that the events in Georgia bear an uncanny resemblance to the Maidan protests, instigated by the West, while the "foreign agent" bill is only a pretext for force regime change. This version perfectly aligns with the official position of Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs voiced by Sergey Lavrov in an interview on Channel One show Great Game.