As Russian troops encounter fierce resistance across Ukraine, the Kremlin is losing another battle, waged across mobile phones and computers around the world.
These are the social media “memes”, made up of viral videos and photos which, for many, are a primary source of information about the war. We see the old lady who confronted a Russian soldier and told him to put sunflower seeds in his pockets so that flowers will grow when he dies on Ukraine’s soil; photos of a newborn baby, only hours old, born in the Kyiv metro turned bomb shelter; the young married couple who tied the knot and then picked up their weapons, these are the images that the world sees.
Much like the letters of the First and Second World War, these online posts will live on as a record of Europe’s resolve against a resurgent despotism. Indeed, they have already shaped the narrative of the conflict – at least in the West.
Ukraine’s success is down in part to its president Volodymr Zelenksy, who has a deep understanding of how to employ social media effectively. Compare Putin’s paranoid ramblings on state television with the dignified and moving selfie videos that Zelensky posts on his personal twitter account.
They give the user a near instantaneous insight into the war and, every time they are shared, Zelensky’s narrative of the war is adopted by more and more people. His videos are shared, their messages promulgated, public opinion shifts and Western leaders take note.
On the Russian side we have seen Sofia Abramovich, daughter of the powerful oligarch Roman, post an anti-war Instagram message, as did the daughter of Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov. We’ve also see unprecedented protests against the war across Russia, with scenes of discontent and anger reflecting the notion that this is Putin’s, not Russia’s war.
The giant social media firms have also weighed in. YouTube has suspended multiple Russian channels, including state-funded media outlet RT, from generating revenue. This followed a similar move by Meta, which owns Facebook. It has in effect added a new dimension to Western sanctions: Russia is not only isolated economically and political, but socially too.
Some might say it is a side-show when we are seeing tanks rolling through Ukrainian city suburbs and a meltdown in Russian markets.
This would be to dismiss the value of propaganda and public sentiment in times of war. Social media platforms, which can serve as transmission systems for governments and forces, have a defining impact on public opinion and morale amongst troops.
We might not be seeing this strong and united response from the West, which seems to have surprised Putin, had Ukrainians not been so effective on Twitter, Facebook and TikTok.
Indeed, we might not be seeing such a staunch resistance from Ukrainians had they not been able to see, via Telegram, the heroic efforts of fellow citizens across their country. Mr Putin understands this well. In the past his services have excelled in manipulating social media for political ends in the past, confounding even US intelligence agencies.
This time, the thousands of pro-Ukraine videos, memes and stories have placed the Russian president in a dangerous position. He’s an authoritarian who’s swiftly losing his authority.
