RT by @mikenov: RT by @mikenov: The Russian fascist regime uses a huge arsenal of manipulative techniques, many of which were described in detail by propaganda researchers — the RAND Institute in the concept of the “Firehose of Falsehood.” If we translate them from scientific language into simple terms, the main tools look like this: 1The “Rotten Herring” Method (or Slander) The goal is not to prove the guilt of a person or country, but simply to smear their name with dirt, so that the average person is left with a “sediment.” How it works: The opponent is accused of something completely wild and scandalous (for example, “Nazism,” “Satanism,” “Zelensky is a drug addict,” “selling children fo

The Russian fascist regime uses a huge arsenal of manipulative techniques, many of which were described in detail by propaganda researchers — the RAND Institute in the concept of the “Firehose of Falsehood.”
If we translate them from scientific language into simple terms, the main tools look like this:
1The “Rotten Herring” Method (or Slander) The goal is not to prove the guilt of a person or country, but simply to smear their name with dirt, so that the average person is left with a “sediment.”
How it works: The opponent is accused of something completely wild and scandalous (for example, “Nazism,” “Satanism,” “Zelensky is a drug addict,” “selling children for organs”…). Even if the accusation is absurd and has no evidence, it causes a stormy discussion. In the mind of the average person, the goal is achieved: the object of discussion is now associated with something vile.
2“Whataboutism” (And what about…?) A classic Soviet trick of shifting the arrows, which is now brought to the absolute.
How it works: In response to any accusation of aggression, human rights violations or war crimes, the Kremlin never answers on the merits. Instead, the standard phrase sounds: “And what about the bombing of Yugoslavia? And what about Iraq? And the ‘Alley of Angels,’ for 8 years they shelled Donbas, Look at what the USA/NATO is doing!”
The essence of the manipulation: To justify one’s own crimes by the fact that someone else in the world also committed or is committing bad actions.
3Expanding the “Overton Window” through insane news hooks A technology by which radical, wild and unacceptable ideas for society are gradually turned into the norm.
How it works: Clowns like Medvedev in Telegram on Solovyov’s shitshow are released on air, who propose “to strike London with nuclear weapons” or “to wipe Poland off the face of the earth.”
The essence of the manipulation: Against the backdrop of this nuclear madness, the Führer’s official decisions — annexation of territories, strikes on energy infrastructure — begin to seem to the average person “moderate,” “balanced” and “forced.”
4Creating “Noise” and multiple versions (Refusal of a single truth) When a loud event occurs (for example, the destruction of the Malaysian Boeing MH17 or the tragedy in Bucha), propaganda does not try to build one ironclad version. It does exactly the opposite.
How it works: Dozens of contradictory versions are thrown in: “The Boeing was shot down by a Ukrainian attack aircraft,” “it was a Spanish dispatcher,” “the missile flew from another place,” “there were stale corpses inside.”
The essence of the manipulation: The Russian’s brain explodes. He gives up, waves his hand and says: “Everything is not so unambiguous, we will never know the whole truth.” This is the goal — to paralyze the desire to seek the truth.
5The “Illusion of Truth Effect” (Repetition is the mother of learning) The human brain is designed in such a way that if it hears some thought often enough, it begins to subconsciously perceive it as true simply because of the familiarity factor.
How it works: From every iron — from news to TV series and bot posts on social networks — the same theses are broadcast for years: “The West wants to destroy Russia,” “Ukraine is an artificial state,” “Russia has never attacked anyone,” “If not for us, then they would have attacked us…”
The essence of the manipulation: Even a critically thinking person, being in this information bubble, begins to doubt and succumb to the general background.
The main result: Modern Kremlin shit-propaganda, unlike Soviet propaganda, does not try to make you believe in a bright future or a specific ideology. Its main goal is to make you stop believing anyone at all, lose faith in the existence of truth and take a passive position: “I am a little person, they will figure it out up there.”

— @VictorKvert2008 Jul 12, 2026