In today’s digital world, war doesn’t just happen on the ground. On social media, an information war is brewing. Here, state propaganda can spread from both sides and reach people all over the world.

In Putin’s narrative, Russia saved Ukraine from the Kyiv regime. War is inevitable, and Putin has no choice.

But Putin’s information strategy has changed in the past. The president has replaced the men in dull gray suits with women in luxurious and colorful clothes.

“In part, these roles have been filled by women because they are less prestigious than big internal jobs, but there is also a realization that men in gray coats cannot convey messages with the same power,” said Professor Mark Galeotti. telegraph. He specializes in Russian history and security, and teaches in England.

– Here, Maria Zakharova and women like her in the world are sure to get coverage and attention. This is Ann Coulter syndrome, adds Galeotti.

– Soldier “Red Lipstick”

Maria Zakharovas is the Press and Information Officer of the Russian Foreign Ministry. Former journalists and diplomats have been given a central role in the current situation and lead newspapers Telegraph call the Army “Red Lipstick”.

The head of PR and Putin’s spokesman is made up of Russian women trained in the media. With sharp commentary and insight, they will tackle Western criticism and convey Russia’s narrative to its own people.

For example, a maternity ward in the city of Mariupol was bombed to pieces last week. Photos of pregnant women brought from the hospital were published in the media and spread on social media. The woman died from her injuries.

When Maria Zakharova was asked about the attack in a press conference, there was no sympathy at all.

“This is information terrorism,” he replied, adding that Ukraine’s report on the air strike was false.

Another staunch Putin supporter, senator and government spokeswoman Valentina Matviyenko, also told the media that this was the only way to avoid a “fraternal war.”

– I don’t know if Putin deliberately chose women, or because they were the best for the job. There may be a macho element in this male lead choosing a female spokesperson, former Boris Johnson communications consultant Jo Tanner told The Telegraph.

But he saw logic in getting a woman to defend the attack in the delivery room.

– You try to dispel the worst of the pressure, but Zakharova is pretty strong in her delivery, says Tanner.

– Very aggressive

Researcher Emily Ferris points out that sometimes it can be difficult to be a woman in Zakharova’s position. The PR manager challenges traditional gender roles in Russia with his aggressive attitude.

– He is very aggressive towards the West, which I think many Russians see as a strength. But Russia is still a somewhat misogynistic country, and it also defies some traditional views of how women should be. I don’t want to say I admire her, but it’s quite difficult to be a woman in this role, researcher Emily Ferris at the Russian think tank told the newspaper.

Zakharova is sometimes referred to as “Putin’s boss.”

– He really likes his job. He gets a “kick” from what he does. She has turned public relations management at the Foreign Ministry into a drama, Aleksey Maslov, a professor of economics and a former Zakharova lecturer, told Buzzfeed.

Also read: Taking Putin’s grip on the Norwegian shelf

– We took out our handkerchiefs so we could cry

Zakharova and editor-in-chief of Russian broadcaster RT (formerly Russia Today), Margarita Simonyan, are on the list of individuals subject to EU sanctions along with the Russian oligarchs.

When Simonyan was asked what he thought of the list, he replied sarcastically:

Maria Zakharova and I took out our handkerchiefs so we could cry a little.

Propaganda is also recorded for western media.

Maria Butina, previously convicted of spying on the United States on behalf of Russia, has stated that the attacks in Ukraine were carried out by Ukraine.

Here, Butina is brushed off by BBC reporter Nick Robinson on BBC Radio 4 Today: