HIRMU MEHHANISMID STRATEEGILISTES NARRATIIVIDES ÕPPUSE ZAPAD 2017 NÄITEL
Mechanisms of Fear in Russia’s Strategic Narratives about Zapad 2017

Summary/Abstract: Modern military training exercises often include an information warfare component. Combat manoeuvres and weapon tests may be combined with large-scale information operations, including attempts at mass deception and persuasion via strategic uses of media narratives. In this article, we analysed the largest recent Russian war games on NATO’s eastern borders, the Zapad 2017 military exercise, by identifying and analysing three strategic narratives that were presented in journalistic representations of the exercise in the Estonian media scape. These narratives serve multiple functions: they cast NATO in a negative light, induce fear among Western audiences, and represent Russia as a ‘victim’ rather than a potential aggressor. One of the ways Russia spread confusion and fear was through manipulation with ambiguous messages and inconsistent numbers. Although Russia’s representatives tried to ridicule Western speculations about the size of the troops, the continuous amplifi cation of the message and keeping it on the media agenda helped fuel the assumption that Russia was disguising its actual military capacity. The mounting fears, coupled with ambiguous information, pushed the audience into a state of anxious uncertainty. Russia managed to create an image of itself in the Western media as an intimidating and militarily dangerous adversary, and, in turn, the emergent atmosphere of precariousness propagated the discourse of Russia’s military might. The discrediting of Western politicians, experts and the press is another example of signifi cant manipulation of the strategic narratives described in this article. Through news stories, the Russian media attempted to foster an impression that it was, in fact, the Western media that was fearmongering by spreading speculations and ‘Russophobic’ views. Infl uenced by such narratives, the target audience is at serious risk of starting to doubt its judgment. However, in a critical situation that requires an adequate and prompt reaction to urgent unfolding processes, any hesitation may prove fatal.

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