TTLV: The role of digital platforms in the information warfare waged by Russia during the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE MASTER'S THESIS

1. Student's full name: Tran Bao Son 2. Gender: Male

3. Date of birth: January 4, 1999 4. Place of birth: Hanoi

5. Decision No. 5626/QD-XHNV dated December 29, 2023, of the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, recognizing the student.

6. Changes in the training process: Extending the total training time to 12 months, according to Decision No. 9028/QD-XHNV dated December 23, 2025 and Decision No. 3371/QD-XHNV dated June 25, 2026.

7. Thesis title: The role of digital platforms in the information warfare waged by Russia during the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

8. Major: Journalism (Research-oriented) 9. Code: 8320101.01

10. Scientific supervisor:

• Dr. Nguyen Thi Thuy Hang, Institute of Journalism and Communication Training, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

• Dr. Tran Van Le, Head of the Communication Department, Dai Nam University

11. Summary of the thesis results

This thesis systematically studies the role of digital platforms, with a case study of Telegram, in information warfare conducted by Russia during the Russia-Ukraine conflict from February 2022 to May 2025. The research results show that digital platforms have become strategic tools of modern information warfare, creating a communication environment where the lines between information and propaganda are blurred.

The research also indicates that Russia has built a multi-tiered system based on exploiting the unique characteristics of digital platforms such as Telegram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and X. Twitter. At the strategic level, these platforms are used to create content and disseminate narratives to influence international public opinion, shaping understanding/perception through agendas, content frameworks, and multi-discourse. At the tactical level, they allow for rapid responses to conflict developments and flexible message adaptation to specific target groups (content localization capabilities). The combination of information warfare and cognitive warfare has created a complex information ecosystem, in which psychological and technical factors are closely intertwined to form a matrix for users.

The thesis clarifies the dual role of platforms in both Russia's information offensive and defensive operations. In offensive operations, Russia targets various public groups in "key countries," including Ukraine and Western nations, to garner international support. In defensive operations, Moscow builds "information resilience" among Russians and Cyrillic speakers through domestic social media networks and fosters public trust. However, Russia's information warfare also faces numerous challenges due to direct interference from Western countries in technology companies such as Meta and Google, the owners of leading global social media platforms.

Based on the above findings, this thesis affirms that information warfare on digital platforms is a multifaceted challenge with far-reaching impacts on national security, international order, and democracy in the digital age. Effectively responding to this challenge requires comprehensive approaches, combining the improvement of the legal framework, investment in technology, development of professional capacity, public education, and enhanced international cooperation.

12. Practical applications:

Based on the conclusions of this thesis regarding the role and operating mechanisms of digital platforms in information warfare, the research results can be used as an initial reference source for management agencies, press and media organizations, and related units in identifying forms of information warfare and information manipulation in cyberspace. The analyses of information warfare activities at both strategic and tactical levels, particularly through the case study of Telegram, contribute to providing further reference for considering and evaluating complex communication phenomena in the context of modern conflict.

Furthermore, the thesis suggests several approaches in education and communication to raise public awareness of digital information challenges, thereby gradually strengthening society's "information resilience." The research results can also be used in training and educating students and professionals in journalism and media about digital communication, strategic communication, and crisis communication, in line with the further research directions proposed in the thesis.

13. Future research directions:

Based on the research findings and limitations, this thesis proposes several directions for further research to deepen and expand the study. Firstly, future research could broaden the scope of data and research platforms to conduct cross-platform comparisons and analyze differences in information reception among different public groups and linguistic spaces.

Secondly, it is possible to incorporate additional quantitative research methods on large-scale datasets to better test and quantify the mechanisms of information amplification, as well as the level of coordination in digital information warfare operations. This approach will enhance the reliability of the research results and complement the qualitative analyses already conducted in this thesis.

Third, further research could focus more deeply on the public reception aspect, the impact of digital information warfare on journalistic activities in the context of increasing platform dependence, and the assessment of the effectiveness of measures to respond to and counter information manipulation. In particular, placing these studies within the specific context of Vietnam will contribute to enhancing the practical value and relevance of the research findings.

14. Published works related to the project:

Do not have.

INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS

1. Full name: Tran Bao Son 2. Sex: Male

3. Date of birth: 04 January 1999 4. Place of birth: Hanoi

5. Admission decision number: 5626/QD-XHNV dated December 29, 2023 by the Rector of University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

6. Changes in academic process:The duration has been extended for a total period of 12 months in accordance with Decision No. 9028/QD-XHNV dated December 23, 2025 and Decision No. 3371/QD-XHNV dated June 25, 2026.

7. Official thesis title: The role of digital platforms in Russia's information warfare during the Russia–Ukraine conflict (2022–2025).

8. Major: Journalism (research-oriented) 9. Code: 8320101.01

10. Supervisors:

• Dr. Nguyen Thi Thuy Hang, School of Journalism and Communication, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

• Dr. Tran Van Le, Head of the Faculty of Communication, Dai Nam University

11. Summary of the findings of the thesis:

The thesis examines the role of digital platforms, with a case study of the Telegram application, in Russia's information warfare during the Russia–Ukraine conflict from February 2022 to May 2025. The research findings demonstrate that digital platforms have become strategic instruments of modern information warfare, creating a new media environment where the boundary between information and propaganda is blurred, while enhancing the capacity to shape public perception compared to traditional propaganda.

The study also reveals that Russia has constructed a multi-layered system by exploiting the distinctive characteristics of digital platforms such as Telegram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter/X. At the strategic level, these platforms are utilized to create content and disseminate narrative aimed at investigating international public opinion and shaping understanding/perception through agenda-setting, content framing, and multiple discourses. At the tactical level, they enable rapid responses to developments in the conflict and flexible message adjustment for different target groups (content localization capability). The combination of information warfare and cognitive warfare has created a complex information ecosystem in which psychological factors are tightly integrated with technical elements to form a matrix for users.

The thesis also clarifies the dual role of platforms in both Russia's offensive and defensive information operations. In offensive operations, Russia targets various public groups in "key countries," including Ukraine and Western nations, to garner support from the international community. In defensive operations, Moscow deploys the construction of "information resilience" for Russians themselves and Cyrillic-script users through domestic social networks and the establishment of public trust. However, Russia's information warfare activities also face considerable challenges due to the direct intervention of Western countries in technology corporations such as Meta and Google, the parent companies of the world's most widely-used social networks.

Based on these findings, the thesis affirms that information warfare on digital platforms represents a multidimensional challenge with profound impacts on national security, international order, and democracy in the digital age. Effectively addressing this challenge requires comprehensive approaches that combine the refinement of legal frameworks, investment in technology, development of professional capacity, public education, and strengthening of international cooperation.

12. Practical applicability, if any:

Based on the thesis's conclusions regarding the role and operational mechanisms of digital platforms in information warfare, the research findings can be utilized as preliminary reference material for regulatory agencies, press and media organizations, and related entities in identifying forms of information operations and information manipulation in cyberspace. The analyzes of information warfare activities at both strategic and tactical levels, particularly through the Telegram case study, contributes to providing additional reference bases for examining and evaluating complex media phenomena in the context of modern conflicts.

Additionally, the thesis suggests several approaches for education and communication work aimed at raising public awareness of digital information challenges, thereby gradually strengthening society's "information resilience." The research results can also be referenced in training and developing knowledge on digital media, strategic communication, and crisis communication for students and practitioners in the journalism and media field, consistent with the subsequent research orientations proposed in the thesis.

13. Further research directions, if any:

Based on the results achieved and the limitations of the study, the thesis proposes several further research directions to continue deepening and expanding the issues examined. First, future studies may expand the scope of data and research platforms to conduct cross-platform comparisons while analyzing differences in information reception among various public groups and different linguistic spaces.

Second, supplementary quantitative research methods on large-scale datasets may be incorporated to test and more clearly quantify the mechanisms of information amplification, as well as the degree of coordination in digital information warfare activities. This approach will help enhance the reliability of research results and complement the qualitative analyzes already conducted in the thesis.

Third, subsequent studies may focus more deeply on the aspect of public reception, the impact of digital information warfare on journalism activities in the context of increasing platform dependence, as well as evaluating the effectiveness of response and countermeasures against information manipulation. In particular, situating these studies within the specific conditions of Vietnam will contribute to enhancing the practical value and relevance of further research results.

14. Thesis-related publications: None.