Elaine Byrne: Russia is fighting two wars, and it is winning the one on western influence

While it wages war on Ukraine, Russia is also waging a disinformation war, aiming to sow mistrust and destroy social cohesion – and it is a savvy operator

Vladimir Putin, Russian president, at a rally in the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow last week: covert moves on social media have formed an important part of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Picture: Getty

Our understanding in Ireland of the unprovoked atrocities committed on Ukrainian soil by Russian aggressors originates primarily from western journalists and the adept social media communications by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukrainian citizens.

We are not alone in that. In essence, the West is speaking and listening to itself. In a recent tweet of astonishing clarity, the research director of Demos, a London-based think tank, said: “When we say Kyiv is winning the information ...