Facebook and Telegram as Tools of Information Warfare in the Context of Russia’s Full-Scale Aggression against Ukraine

This research explores how Ukrainians employ Facebook and Telegram as key instruments of resistance in the information warfare resulting from Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The purpose of the study is to analyze the communicative and technical strategies used by Ukrainian social media users to counter Russian propaganda, circumvent content restrictions, and disseminate verified information in the context of hybrid warfare. The research aims to reveal the dynamics of digital mobilization and adaptation of Ukrainian users to the challenges of social media censorship and information manipulation. The study combines content analysis of Facebook and Telegram posts with semi-structured interviews of blocked Facebook users N=60). The analysis covers the period from February 24, 2022, to May 28, 2023. The findings demonstrate the evolution of online resistance practices, the creative circumvention of platform restrictions, and the crucial role of social networks in Ukraine’s information defense.