The Kremlin is using the Hamas attack on Israel to promote information operations aimed at reducing US and Western support and attention to Ukraine.
This is stated in a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
< p>So, the Russian Federation accuses the West of neglecting conflicts in the Middle East in favor of supporting Ukraine.
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Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that the United States and its allies should “engage” working on a “Palestinian-Israeli settlement”, and not “interfering” in Russian affairs and provide military assistance to Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Ministry accused the West of blocking the efforts of the necessary “quartet” consisting of the Russian Federation, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations, which led to an escalation of violence, blaming the current hostilities on the West.
Russian propagandist Sergei Mardan bluntly stated that Russia will benefit from the escalation, since the world will “look away from Ukraine for a while and will again be busy putting out the eternal fire in the Middle East.”
— These Kremlin narratives are aimed at Western audiences to drive a wedge into military support for Ukraine, they attempt to demoralize Ukrainian society by claiming that Ukraine will lose international support, and they also intend to reassure Russian domestic audiences that the international community will ignore Ukraine's military efforts. 8212; experts report.
The Institute indicates that several key sources in the Russian information space have shifted the focus of their daily coverage to the situation in Israel on October 7, which may affect the information environment around the war in Ukraine in the coming days or weeks.
Many Russian war bloggers focused primarily on the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7, and some contributed to the Kremlin's information operations by arguing that Western attention had shifted from Ukraine to Israel.
— ISW cannot currently predict how the source environment will change as Hamas attacks unfold in Israel, — analysts add.
What is known about the attack on Israel
On Saturday morning, October 7, the terrorist group Hamas announced the start of a new large-scale operation against Israel.
A massive rocket strike was launched across the country from the Gaza Strip. The militants fired more than 2.2 thousand rockets.
In response to this, the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced a massive call-up of reservists.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an address to citizens, said that Israel is at war, and the Gaza Strip will “pay” for this attack.
The Israel Defense Forces now say they are conducting artillery strikes on Lebanon in response to several mortar shells fired from there.
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