Tactics of Rebuttal: The 4D Approach

Russia’s narrative can be viewed as an offensive weapon.  When it comes to defending Russia, different tactics are used. They can be summed up in four words: dismiss, distort, distract, dismay.

Dismiss: The first Russian approach to negative reporting or comment is to dismiss it, either by denying the allegations on the ground, or denigrating the one who makes them.

Distort: Russian officials and media have also developed a strong tendency to distort information to serve their overall narrative.

Distract: A further tool in Russia’s information arsenal is distraction: turning attention away from the activities of Russia and its allies by launching accusations elsewhere.

Dismay: The final key tool in Russia’s communications arsenal is to spread dismay, by warning that moves which Russia opposes will have disastrous consequences for those planning them.

It’s a brand of information warfare, known as dezinformatsiya.