Strategic Narratives and Information Warfare: Russian FIMI Campaigns against Ukraine’s Armed Forces in the Context of War and Societal Impact

Russian information operations against Ukraine’s Armed Forces (AFU) represent a striking case of modern warfare’s cognitive war. The article analyses the case study of Russian Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) targeting the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) to examine how the Kremlin’s campaigns sought to shape perceptions and behavior in and beyond Ukraine. Using the DISARM framework as an analytical tool, the research delineates the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPS) and phased approach of the FIMI “kill chain,” from planning and content preparation to execution and adaptation. The case analysis reveals how Russian strategic narratives on this topic frame Ukraine’s government and military command as “neo-Nazi” or illegitimate authority and deploy psychological pressure tactics such as disinformation about mass surrender or threats to soldiers’ families to erode troop morale and influence foreign and domestic audiences. The article also analyses the socio-political effects of FIMI efforts targeting Ukrainian society, particularly civil-military relations.