The article explores how authoritarian satellite regimes use digital platforms to amplify the information warfare of major authoritarian powers. The analysis is based on a qualitative content analysis of posts published in 2024 across the most popular pro-government Telegram channels in Belarus.
Key findings
- During the monitoring period, only 433 posts out of approximately 80,000 published in the selected sources were identified as containing disinformation related to the war in Ukraine and its consequences.
- Despite their relatively small number, these disinformation posts had a significant reach: in total, they accumulated more than 10 million views, with individual posts exceeding 1.5 million views.
- Approximately 53% of Ukraine-related disinformation posts originated from Russian sources, indicating a strong linkage between the Belarusian and Russian propaganda ecosystems in relation to the war.
- The most frequent disinformation theme concerned military conscription in Ukraine, including claims of mass dissatisfaction, deceptive mobilization practices, and shortages of recruits.
- Other persistent narratives included allegations of corruption within the Ukrainian government, claims of declining morale in the Ukrainian armed forces, and the recurrent framing of Ukrainian society and the military as “neo-Nazi.”
- Although the overall volume of disinformation was limited, its potential impact remains substantial: it reached broad audiences both within Belarus and beyond, contributing to the formation of a negative image of Ukraine.