Ukraine can counter Russian propaganda asymmetrically – expert

Thanks to asymmetric solutions in the information sphere, Ukraine can effectively counter Russian propaganda even with significantly fewer resources.

Liubov Tsybulska, a strategic communications expert and director of the NGO Join Ukraine, said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

"Russia has been steadily increasing its propaganda budgets over the past 12 years. They may cut spending on education or healthcare, but they will always increase expenditures on war and propaganda. Obviously, we do not have the same resources, but in reality, we do not face the same task. We must defend ourselves asymmetrically. For example, Russia has powerful aviation, but then the Security Service of Ukraine appears with Operation Spiderweb and small, cheap drones destroy more than 30% of Russian missile carriers. This is exactly what we must do – and are doing – in the information sphere as well," she said.

Tsybulska noted that Ukrainians working in the field of information warfare are more motivated because the issue concerns survival.

"The Russian propaganda machine operates only thanks to the use of enormous resources," she added.

Earlier reports said that Russia's state budget spending on state television channels in 2026 would reach 106.4 billion rubles (about $1.27 billion), which is 54% higher than previously planned and exceeds this year's figures.