How the Russian Media Portrays the U.S. Military

This article focuses on how today's Russian media portrays the US military. The thesis is relatively straightforward. Over the past decade, the Kremlin-sponsored Russian media have inundated the Russian information space with an anti-American message, particularly anything associated with the U.S. military. They have created a narrative built around the assertion that the United States has been using all of its resources (military, economic, diplomatic, information, etc.) to prevent Russia from regaining its superpower status. Since Russian military personnel are subject to this same anti-American information diet, the Kremlin's anti-US propaganda campaign has transformed the US military into the primary enemy for the Russian soldier. This article will review some Russian sources of anti-American propaganda and consider a handful of implications that may stem from this negative portrayal. The U.S. military has already begun to recalibrate and adjust to an increased threat from the Russian military and the Kremlin's associated information operations.