Russian Propaganda Tactics in Odesa: Evolving Narratives Amid War

How do propagandists explain the defeats on the Black Sea to their audience? How do they react to the de-Russification of Odesa? Have Russian propaganda narratives about Odesa changed since the beginning of the full-scale war? Read the abridged version and watch the full lecture "How Russian propaganda is trying to conquer Odesa: the evolution of Kremlin narratives over three years of full-scale war" by Natalia Steblyna, Professor at Vasyl' Stus Donetsk National University, media analyst at the Pylyp Orlyk Institute for Democracy.

What is a narrative? Let's imagine that you come home. You have a cat or another pet. You see a broken flower pot. If you love your cat and think that it is not capable of such a thing, you will say that the pot fell by itself.

When we answer the question of what happened, we create a narrative, a story about the event. The cat broke it, a draft blew, Poroshenko did it. That is, we are telling a story.

We often hear the phrase about Kremlin narratives. What does it mean? This is the answer to the question of what happened in their interpretation. They are telling their story, and numerous studies by people who study narratives say that people believe in narratives more than facts. If the facts don't fit a certain version or position, people reject them. And if they do, they support the narrative they believe in.

The aggressor is skillful at offering its narratives. Recent research by the Texty publication has shown that it creates narratives for different groups of people, not just one single message. A different narrative is selected for each audience. Vulnerable or dissatisfied groups are told who is to blame for their problems. It works the same way as the story of the pot - someone is bound to be guilty.

One of the biggest narratives in Russia is the"Russian world". Its addressees are not only Russians, but also Soviet people, i.e. people who feel Russian. It is not about nationality or language, but about ideology.

The power of this narrative is comparable to those that led to wars in the 20th century. It is being promoted just as strongly, and its power is significant.

Let's go back to the media. How was this narrative directed to Odesa? What messages were being sent before the full-scale invasion? In fact, it was about the Crimean scenario-that Odesa would meet the Russians and everything would be "peaceful."

A petition titled "Odesa is preparing to surrender everything without a fight" was even registered on the website of the President of Ukraine. It was authored by Russian propagandist Yuriy Tkachev, the founder of the pro-Russian publication Timer, who actively promoted these narratives in Odesa.

The main messages spread at the time:

• There will be no war, because Odesa will "meet" the Russians, as it did in Crimea.
• "We are brothers," so no one will resist.
• The city is not preparing for defense, no one wants to fight.

These narratives were spread through social media and Telegram channels. For example, on the first day of the war, Odesskyi Gorodovyi (now Cynical City Mayor) wrote that the SBU and police were allegedly leaving the city and that "Russians are now coming here."

In fact, such messages contributed to creating panic and preparations for surrender in the information space.

In other words, they were actively spread on the Telegram channel, then they went quiet for a while, nothing was published at all. But after a while, they "resurrected" and are still active.

Here I can show you the mentions of the keywords "Odesa", "Odesa", "Odessite", "Odesskyi" in Russian propaganda. As you can see, the interest of Russian propaganda in Odesa is constant. The highest number of mentions per month is 35-40, which means that it is practically every day or every other day. Regardless of the dynamics of events at the front, Odesa is mentioned regularly.

I would like to emphasize that they do not leave Odesa alone. They are constantly creating new messages, new topics. Today we will see how they continue to promote their narrative that Odesa should be "liberated".

What are the main themes that dominate Russian propaganda?

The first and most popular one is the message about the explosions in Odesa. And they present it very specifically: they write that explosions are heard in Odesa, something is happening, but they do not explain who is shelling the city. They simply report on the explosions without specifying who caused them.

The second place is the destruction of Ukrainian military targets. After each shelling, they report it, and interestingly, some Odesa regional Telegram channels also spread these messages.

The third topic is "Ukrainian Nazis". Since the Crimean scenario did not work and Odessans did not accept the Russians, they had to come up with an explanation. According to their version, the city was allegedly captured by "Nazis" who were terrorizing the local population. The same narrative is supported by some Russian journalists, including those who call themselves "good Russians."

The fourth theme is "Ukrainian saboteurs." The Russians cannot admit that the Ukrainian Armed Forces pose a serious threat, so they present it not as a fight back, but as "sabotage" - as if some individual groups are trying to infiltrate and harm.

They also use the topics of foreign mercenaries, local news, the myth of "Odesa is Russia," mobilization (allegedly, Ukrainians are being forced to fight), biolabs, corruption, and even the fake "Russian underground" that is allegedly fighting the "Nazis."

Initially, in 2022, "victorious" news was spread about how the Russians allegedly destroyed "Ukrainian Nazis" or some military bases. For example, after the strike on the Potemkin Palace in April 2022, they wrote about the destruction of weapons depots.

Later, their tactics changed. They realized that simply repeating "we hit the Nazis" and denying strikes on civilian targets was ineffective.

During the blackouts at the end of 2022, they simply wrote about the shutdown of electricity, water, and heating in Odesa, but did not explain why it happened.

On May 9, they traditionally became more active, spreading many reports of explosions in Odesa.

When Russia withdrew from the grain deal, reports of explosions in the city began to appear again, but without explanation.

During the attack on the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa, they changed their rhetoric - if they used to talk about "legitimate targets," now they tried to justify their actions by manipulating information.

The main version of the Russians that they spread after the attack on the cathedral was as follows: "It was the crooked Ukrainian air defense system, we are not to blame." The tactics changed because it was no longer possible to deny it-everyone had seen the photos and videos that went around the world.

This version began to work, as even Ukrainians began to post questions on social media: "Why is our air defense system shooting down missiles over the city? It is just as guilty as the Russians." This narrative began to work around 2023, and then it was repeated, which led to its acceptance by a certain part of society.

People are starting to think: "We don't know everything, maybe something is not being told to us, maybe not everything is so clear." When such doubts appear, people become an easy target for further influence.

Another surge in reports of explosions in Odesa occurred during the visit of the Greek Prime Minister, when he spoke with Zelenskyy near the destroyed cathedral.

If you look at the first reports of Russian propaganda in late February 2022, you can see their approach. The news reported:

• "Ukrainian media report explosions heard in Kyiv, Kramatorsk, Odesa, Kharkiv."
• "Togliatti Azot suspends ammonia transit due to the situation in Ukraine".
• "Turkish NTV channel reports that a bomb hit a Turkish ship en route from Odesa to Romania in the Black Sea. There were no casualties."
• "The Border Guard Service says it has lost control of the Black Sea island of Zmeinyi."
• "Trains are canceled in Kyiv, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and Lviv regions due to the danger."
• "A curfew has been imposed in Odesa".

There was no explanation of what exactly was happening in these messages. People were simply told about some events without explaining that Russia had launched a full-scale invasion.

Why didn't they write: "Russian troops are coming to liberate Odesa"? Because they expected that Ukrainians would not resist.

Propaganda created the illusion that Odesa would be taken without resistance.

The occupiers understood that Kyiv would have to be taken by battle, although they hoped for a quick operation. But as for Odesa, they were confident that the city would "surrender by itself."

Over time, the propaganda tactics changed.

For example, after the attack on the Riviera shopping center, the Russians said: "A large stockpile of Western weapons and a logistics terminal were destroyed." They repeated this even after the whole world saw the real photos of the aftermath.

During the 2023 attack on the cathedral, they changed their approach: "The most likely reason for the destruction of the Transfiguration Church in Odesa was the fall of a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile due to the ignorant actions of air defense operators."

This is completely different rhetoric than in 2022.

And what happened in March 2024? During the Greek Prime Minister's visit to Odesa, another missile attack took place. First, the Russians announced the visit of the delegation, and then the explosions.

Their propaganda follows a clear pattern that changes according to the situation.

At first, Russia denied its presence, then claimed that the Ukrainians had fired on themselves, and in 2024, they said directly: "We can do whatever we want. If we wanted to, we would have killed the Greek prime minister along with everyone else."

This demonstrates how the rhetoric is changing - from denial to boldly declaring their actions. They are trying to blur the responsibility for war crimes by claiming that it is not Russia, but Ukrainians themselves.

Another interesting topic is "sabotage". The enemy's propaganda is actively spreading reports of some Ukrainian or Western sabotage. In the beginning, they reported a large number of "Ukrainian sabotage".

Why this particular wording? Because the propaganda was saying that in Odesa, the Nazis were holding the city hostage, and the locals allegedly wanted to unite with Russia.

These "sabotages" were supposed to "confirm" this narrative. For example, Russian propaganda wrote that Ukrainian Nazis had placed weapons in schools, near the Plague and at other sites. They said they were digging trenches right next to schools, using children as human shields.

It is important to note that references to "Ukrainian sabotage" increased significantly after the liberation of Zmiyiny Island in June 2022. The propaganda explained the defeats as being due to "Ukrainian saboteurs."

Later, the emphasis changed - in 2024, reports began to appear about a "Russian underground" allegedly operating in Odesa.

Subsequently, "sabotage" was used as a justification for attacks on civilian infrastructure. The propaganda stated: "Weapons are hidden in schools, so we are hitting schools."

In 2022, such messages were very popular, especially during the attacks on the Crimean bridge and platforms in the Black Sea.

Later, propaganda claimed that all these sabotages were carried out by the West. For example, Russian media wrote:

• "Kyiv militants have deployed air defense systems at the Odesa film studio."
• "A provocation with the spread of plague viruses in Odesa is being prepared."
• "Kyiv is preparing a provocation under the control of British special services."
• However, in 2024, the narrative of "Ukrainian sabotage" gradually faded. It was replaced by a new message about the "Russian underground" in Odesa, which is allegedly fighting against the "Nazis."

These shifts in propaganda demonstrate how Russia adjusts its narratives depending on the situation.

Official Ukrainian sources report on destroyed houses, killed civilians, and burned cars, while Russian propaganda spreads reports of "destruction of military targets" and "successful strikes." This creates the effect of information noise, and skepticism is growing among people who are not very media literate: "What if we are not being told everything?"

For example, after the strike on the Nova Poshta warehouses in Odesa, rumors began to spread on social media that it was not a civilian facility but a "secret military plant." This is how propaganda works: it sows doubts, makes people spread fake news and undermines trust in official information.

Propaganda also promotes the narrative that "Odesa is Russia." It has been repeated since 2022 and is used as a justification for attempts to annex the city. Putin, Russian politicians, propagandists, and collaborators are constantly talking about this, and all statements are instantly disseminated through the Kremlin's mouthpieces.

Another popular narrative is the "Ukrainian Nazis". In 2022, propaganda claimed that "Nazis" were persecuting Russian speakers, arresting people, banning them from watching Russian television, and using civilians as human shields.

In 2023, the emphasis shifted: the main theme was "Ukrainians are destroying the great Russian culture." Propagandists used the demolition of Pushkin monuments, decommunization, and the abandonment of Soviet symbols as a cause for outrage. In 2024, the narrative changed again, with more attention paid to the events of May 2 and attempts to revise the history of the events of 2014.

Another narrative is "Western biolabs in Ukraine." It was actively promoted in 2022, but it has since lost its relevance.

Thus, Odesa is under constant information attack. Propaganda changes tactics, adjusts messages depending on the situation, and looks for new ways to influence people's minds. The main goal is to maintain information pressure, spread fear and destabilize society.

Since I am just starting to look for answers to this question, I have an example of only one media outlet. I'm not saying that all media act in the same way, but I took the most popular Ukrainian media outlet that is on the white list, Ukrainska Pravda.

Now let's see how they write about Odesa and what news about the city is most popular. The most common topics are: Russian shelling, local news, crime, followed by Odesa fighting back, i.e. resisting, then Western aid, Russians killing Ukrainians, news about Russian sabotage, Russian culture, de-Russification and Ukrainian culture.

In three years, Ukrayinska Pravda has published only 30 reports about Ukrainian culture in Odesa, not Russian culture. Debunking fakes is rare. Three times they quoted the statement that "Odesa is Russia".

What is important to note is that there are no counter-narratives on the level of the first three most popular topics. Unfortunately, the Ukrainian media do not actually resist these narratives. This raises the question of who should do it - national or local media. However, it is worth noting that there is a lack of counteraction to Russian information attacks in this area.

Is it necessary to constantly respond? Should we spend time denying fakes? It is important not just to deny propaganda, but to create our own information messages that will pull the ground from under the propagandists' feet.

It is not only about responding to Russian theses, but also about actively promoting messages that Odesa is Ukraine, that the city is resisting, that Ukrainian culture is developing here.

As for monuments, it is not enough to just talk about demolishing Russian monuments. It is important to immediately offer an alternative: to name streets after Ukrainian heroes, to fill the space with Ukrainian culture.

Let's compare what was written about Odesa in 2022:

• "Odesa is resisting, barricades are being strengthened."
• "If Russian troops land, they will see the bottom of the Black Sea."
• "Air defense is working, drones are going to hell";
• "They shot down a drone that was making Odesa nervous".

It was an emotional approach that showed the strength and determination of the city. In 2024, the tone changed:

• "Russia attacked Odesa, explosions were heard";
• "Russia attacked Odesa with missiles";
• "There was an explosion in Odesa".

Now the main emphasis is on the destruction. But it should be understood that when explosions are heard, it means that air defense is working. We are fighting back, but this aspect is overlooked.

Another problem is the shift in focus to criminal news. This is a general trend across the country. Since the end of 2022, crime news has been dominating. They are well read, so their number is growing.

Thus, if we do not form our own narrative, the information space is filled with either criminal news or Russian propaganda theses. This is a challenge that needs to be addressed.

Ukrainian media need to cover more about Ukrainian culture in Odesa, local resistance, and successes in repelling attacks. Then the information picture will change, and Russian narratives about "Russian Odesa" will not be as effective.

Ігор Льов

Наталія Стеблина