Russian Propaganda as an Element of Preparation for Armed Aggression Against Ukraine

The purpose of the article is to highlight the propaganda activities that became an indicator of the preparation of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The research methodology is built on the principles of historicism, objectivity, systematicity, multifactoriality, scientificity, and the use of general scientific (analysis, synthesis, scientific abstraction) and special-historical (historical-genetic, historical-typological, historical-systemic) methods. The scientific novelty consists in conducting a comprehensive analysis of the main propaganda measures carried out by the Russian Federation in preparation for armed aggression against Ukraine. Conclusions. While preparing for war with Ukraine, the Russian Federation actively used propaganda methods tested during the preparations for previous wars. The most important of them in the struggle with Ukraine were: 1) manipulation of history with the aim of forming one's own historical myth-building the concept of the "Russian World" / "Russkiy Mir" with an eclectic combination of pre-revolutionary-imperial and Soviet-communist Russian narratives; 2) formation of "symbolism of war" designed to mobilize the masses to heroized violence against Ukrainians: the use of "St. George's Tape" (and the promotion of its updated semantics), the creation of appropriate television, audio and film productions with the aim of glorifying and heroizing the "a Russian soldier", his "right struggle"; 3) dehumanization of the enemy (in this case, Ukrainians) by, firstly, not recognizing the right to build an independent Ukrainian state; secondly, denial of the self-sufficiency of Ukrainian culture; thirdly, the identification of Ukrainian military and public and political figures with the "Nazis". Russian propaganda actually legitimizes the genocide of Ukrainians and the destruction of the Ukrainian state. Living next to Russia, Ukrainian society should always remember: Russian aggression towards Ukrainians flows from the depths of collective memory, manifesting itself on the right occasion. What generates it can only destroy, assimilate or copy, but not create new.