Col. Adisa King, commander of the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, listens to a soldier during Super Garuda Shield 2024 in Puslatpur 5, Indonesia, Aug. 31, 2024. Ukraine’s efforts to counter Russian disinformation campaigns have paid off because its troops aren’t mired in a risk-averse, U.S.-style chain of command, according to a new Rand Corp. report. (Mariah Aguilar/U.S. Army)

Ukrainian efforts to counter Russian disinformation campaigns have been successful because their troops are not bogged down in an overly cautious U.S.-style chain of command, according to a new report that suggests the U.S. military needs to relax.

Fear of embarrassing publicity if communications efforts go awry is one factor holding back the U.S. military, the Rand Corp. said in a study of Ukrainian communications tactics released Tuesday.

“The result of these concerns about risk is that senior U.S. government leaders and military commanders often implement cumbersome approval processes that slow response times and are emblematic of a reluctance to take risks in implementing programs,” the report said.

In contrast, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s flexibility allowed it to give various outside communications specialists control of its Twitter account, now known as X, which played a key role in its success in attracting a large audience, Rand said.

“The United States will need to evaluate its own doctrine, training and war gaming efforts to ensure it is able to counter disinformation during conflict,” Rand said.

A Ukrainian officer who supports his defense ministry’s communications efforts told Rand that their approach is “based on trust” and allows troops to “tap into the creativity of the soldiers.”

The U.S. military should draw on the Ukrainian experience, which highlighted the importance of flexible coordination to ensure the speed of the fight against Russian propaganda, Rand said.

Capt. Matthew Dougherty, a company commander with the 101st Airborne Division, joins other soldiers during a live-fire exercise at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, May 7, 2024. Ukrainian efforts to counter Russian disinformation campaigns have proven successful because of greater freedom to produce content than the risk-averse U.S. model, according to a new Rand Corp. report. (Omar Joseph/U.S. Army)

“However, U.S. government communications efforts are notoriously risk-averse and involve significant bureaucratic approval processes,” Rand said. “Senior U.S. government leaders must be willing to accept risk and enable communicators to quickly create (without intrusive approval chains from senior leaders) unique, humorous, and engaging content.”

In Ukraine, an aggressive communications campaign aimed at exposing the Kremlin’s false statements in the run-up to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has continued throughout the conflict. The campaign has helped galvanize international support for Ukraine, whose military is heavily dependent on Western aid.

Russia has produced a wealth of misleading content targeting Ukrainians and global audiences, in an attempt to undermine international support. Rand has previously described the Kremlin’s campaign as a “fire hose of lies.”

False stories about Ukraine included tales that corrupt officials were selling donated weapons on the black market and social media campaigns highlighting the high costs of winter heating in Europe due to a Russian gas cutoff.

Another common propaganda tactic was a wave of social media posts labeling Ukraine a Nazi state.

The Russian disinformation campaign also included deepfake videos of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urging Ukrainians to surrender and false stories about Ukrainian forces bombing civilian train stations.

The Ukrainian response has involved a wide range of actors, from Zelenskyy himself to Ukrainian social media influencers who have gained international popularity.

“The Ukrainian military has also taken a similar approach with its own social media, with soldiers posting messages directly,” Rand said.

A memorable example early in the war was a Ukrainian soldier who posted on social media screwing a silencer onto the barrel of his gun and telling the camera: “Guys, you’re in deep shit.”

“Other soldiers, Marines and airmen used their social media feeds to share slice-of-life videos from the front lines,” the report said.

Such social media posts serve as a “force multiplier” for Ukraine and reach a much broader audience than any centralized command effort, Rand said.

“The result is that many Americans and Europeans are reminded of the war, its costs and Ukraine’s tactical victories every time they scroll through Twitter or TikTok,” Rand said.