Information Warfare Between Russia and Ukraine

On February 24, 2022 the Russian Federation forces started to cross the Russia-Ukraine border and fight the Ukrainian forces. Although Russia does not call it a war but a special military operation, it is a war in the sense that fighting is taking place. Western countries quicky criticized the Russian move.

A storm of criticism against Russia raged in Western countries. In Japan, if you say something favorable for Russia, you will be labelled as a Russian spy.

The situation is too abnormal. So I have decided to record as much as possible about this situation and analyze it.

Background

This war, or military operation, as Russia calls it, did not suddenly occur. It occurred after many years of conflicts. However, most Western media including Japanese media do not report those conflicts that led to this war. As a result, most people believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin has suddenly been suffering severe mental disorder, which has made him order the Russian forces to invade Ukraine.

That, however, is far from the truth. The situation here is much more complicated and convincing.

Historically Ukraine and Russia had been one and the same country for centuries until recently the Soviet Union collapsed. Ukrainians and Russians are the same people in the sense that Japanese and French are not. They are more like Southerners and Norherners in the United States.

What is the difference? Americans may say that Southerners and Norherners are completey different, but in the eyes of foreigners like me, they are completely the same. That same thing applies to the difference between Ukrainians and Russians as well.

In Ukraine, however, there are Ukrainian nationalists. These people oppose Russians (i.e. Russian Ukrainians) which constitute about 18% of the populaiton of Ukraine.)