Yusov: Russia uses history as a tool of war

Following the end of active hostilities, Ukraine must remain prepared for continued Russian information and psychological operations (IPSO), which will not cease, warned Andriy Yusov, representative of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate.

He spoke during an Ukrinform-hosted discussion titled “World War II: Memory Architecture and International Security.”

Yusov emphasized that future challenges will include defending Ukraine’s informational, humanitarian, historical, and value-based boundaries. “Even if the guns fall silent one day, the enemy is already preparing an IPSO army—and that war will certainly continue,” he said.

He noted that history is frequently used as a tool of geopolitics. “When the president of a major power posts a quote claiming Russia defeated Hitler and is therefore impossible to defeat—that’s historical weaponry, and it worked against us,” Yusov added.

He called Russia’s use of history as a tool of war a major challenge for Ukraine. While Russia systematically prepared for ideological and historical warfare, Ukraine has not done so consistently since 1991. “Under Viktor Yushchenko, the ice began to break, but it was short-lived. If we couldn’t explain to ourselves as a nation and society what we remember, what our shared concept is, then it means we had massive gaps—not only in countering enemy Russian narratives, but also in communicating with the world,” Yusov said.

He concluded that only now is Ukraine beginning to recognize the need to engage with its historical past and confront Russia’s manipulation in this domain.

The event was held to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II—September 2, 1945—when Japan signed the act of surrender.

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