Russia claims that a Ukrainian counterattack has been pushed back in Donetsk – information that Ukrainian authorities have neither confirmed nor denied.
It’s all part of a difficult-to-navigate information war, in which Ukraine is applying a new tactic.
– They put the lid on one hundred percent, says TV4 Nyhetern’s Johan Fredriksson.
The information that Russia pushed back a Ukrainian counterattack in eastern Ukraine was published on the Russian state news agency Tass, as well as on blogs and social media.
Experts that TV4 Nyheterna has spoken to say that the data should be taken with a grain of salt, that some progress may have been made but that the large-scale counter-offensive has probably not yet begun.
Johan Fredriksson, foreign reporter with several trips to the war in Ukraine, explains why it is currently difficult to determine what is really true.
“A dare game”
– This is a several hundred kilometer long front line that runs from the Odessa area up to the north of Kiev, and it is a very risky game where there are troop drawdowns, retreats and extensive battles that involve losses for both sides, he says.
– It is a stage in the war where the intensity seems to have increased, but Ukraine’s new strategy is to put the lid on one hundred percent. It is true that small pieces of the puzzle are released, but the message is “keep quiet”.
The upcoming major offensive is what many are waiting for – and Ukraine is in a situation where the information that comes out is of the utmost importance.
– What we are facing is perhaps the most extensive and significant military battle since the Second World War in Europe. This could decide the future of Europe and above all it could decide the future of Ukraine. Here they don’t want to give a single bit of information to Russia, says Johan Fredriksson.
Combat morale and continued support
Propaganda is a big part of all wars, perhaps now more than ever as social media is constantly filled with different images and information.
According to Johan Fredriksson, both sides try to use every opportunity to highlight successes and cover up mistakes. It’s about fighting morale among its own people, but for Ukraine it’s also about continuing to receive support from the outside world, he believes.
– Therefore, of course, you also want to control the flow of information. And Russia, for its part, is a dictatorship where the Kremlin tries to control one hundred percent of all information and does so. The information coming from the Russian authorities must be taken with a huge grain of salt.
“They have lied for ten years”
As a media consumer, the flow of conflicting information can be very difficult to navigate. Johan Fredriksson has a couple of clear guidelines.
– I usually have as a rule that what comes from Putin or the Kremlin – it is 90 percent lies. In principle, you can trust them to lie. They have been doing that for ten years now, constantly.
– Ukraine will withhold facts that are not good for them and will try to highlight information that benefits them. It is war and in war anything is allowed, they will do anything to win – both sides.