The Russian Military’s Biological Warfare Disinformation Campaign and the Russo-Ukrainian War

As part of its war effort in Ukraine following its invasion in February 2022, the Russian military has had the lead on a psychological operations (PSYOP) campaign of disinformation focused on claims of an alleged U.S.-run biological warfare program in Ukraine. This study analyzes the mechanics and content of this effort in terms of objectives, target audiences, key communicators, themes, dissemination methods, and measures of effectiveness and assesses its results, concluding that while considerable assets have been invested in this PSYOP campaign in support of the overall Russian war effort, and despite some tactical impact, greater success has been elusive due to the campaign’s flawed assumptions and structure.