Russia has been a key player in the Syrian Civil War since its military intervention began there in September 2015. Moscow has sought to establish itself as an intermediary between Damascus and other stakeholders. This includes balancing players like the United States, Turkey, Iran and Israel, and working to gain buy-in to its Astana Process for negotiating an end to the conflict. Expanding its influence in the Middle East has been central in Russia’s efforts to reassert itself as a global power. Its activity in Syria forms an important pillar in this effort, and its success or failure there has major implications for its position as a player in Middle Eastern affairs more broadly.
Moscow has not left interpretation of developments in Syria up to chance. Since Russian involvement in Syria began, the Syrian conflict has received significant, dedicated attention from Russia’s disinformation apparatus. This includes state orchestrated efforts to proliferate disinformation that obfuscates the truth about the Assad Regime’s use of chemical weapons, as previous research has documented.
This report presents some key findings from research examining how Russia has used the Syrian Kurds in pro-Russian and disinformation narratives proliferated in the information environment. Russia adeptly leverages minority groups to advance its interests, and its long relationship with the Kurds has been defined by this type of pragmatism. Moscow has stood to promote Kurdish interests when advantageous, and it is equally willing to disregard them when not.
For more information about this study, please send an email to inquiries@textore.net and include your name and contact information.