How Ukrainians have used social media to humiliate the Russians and rally the world

A torrent of real-time videos on Facebook, Telegram, TikTok, and Twitter has blunted Kremlin propaganda and united the globe to Ukraine's side as the country struggles to save its democracy against a military giant.

Ukrainians and their allies have used social media to smear, mock, and humiliate the Russians, hoping to lift civilians' spirits while lowering the morale of the invaders amid the most Internet-accessible conflict in history.

It may have also saved lives: Ukrainians have rushed to spread defense measures, organize escape routes, and film the savagery of a raging conflict. Some believe that the phone footage captured in recent days will be crucial in probing war crimes when the fighting has ended.

Russia has long been regarded as the Internet's most cunning miscreant, and the country's propaganda machine has for years used social and state-backed media to deceive and disempower its enemies.

However, Ukraine has begun to beat Russia at its own game in many respects, utilizing frequent, vivid communication to foment digital opposition and expose Russia's aggression on a global scale.

The techniques demonstrate how social media has added a new dimension to modern warfare, demonstrating how the Internet has evolved from a battleground to a weapon for real-world conquest.

It has also given Ukrainians the feeling that they can participate to the struggle. Solomiia Shalaiska, a graphic designer living in Kyiv, said she felt helpless until she began uploading photographs of pro-Ukraine rallies on an Instagram feed she previously used for art and design.

One graphic, headlined "Realize the Scale of Ukrainian Heroism," a David-and-Goliath-style map contrasting the sizes of both nations, has been "liked" more than 100,000 times in the last day. Shalaiska stated that she had joined the country's budding "IT army" of volunteer hackers and hellraisers who have tried to fight Russian psychological tactics by overcrowding their websites and spamming their intelligence personnel. (Shalaiska stated that she has largely assisted by disseminating information and reporting bots.)

Other posts have proven to be effective weapons for strategy and intimidation, allowing Ukrainians to share videos and intelligence concerning Russian saboteurs' code signs, the burnt husks of Russian military vehicles, and the plundered remains of dead enemy troops.

Ukrainians have also posted online tactical guidelines on how to avoid sniper fire, block roads, and build molotov cocktails, often with memes claiming the Russians will find them "quite tasty."

It's really vital to [strengthen] Ukrainian national spirit, which is why people are producing memes and encouraging photos," she said on Instagram. People should have access to sources other than Russian propaganda.

How Ukraine is winning the propaganda war

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