Russia Continues to Use Soft Power to Pursue Annexation in Occupied Regions - DRI

Russia continues to use soft power to pursue annexation in occupied territories of Georgia, the Institute for the Study of Democracy (DRI) said in a press release.

According to the organization, the “educational” activities organized by Russia in South Ossetia clearly demonstrate how the Kremlin uses soft power tools to strengthen its influence in the occupied regions.

According to DRI, a series of lectures held in Tskhinvali by the Russian society “Znaniye” formally serves the goals of education and youth development, but in reality they are a tool for ideological influence on young people.

According to them, for two days, experts from Russia will be giving lectures at schools and universities in South Ossetia on topics such as information warfare, hybrid warfare, patriotism, and Russia’s role in preserving cultural traditions.

As noted in the press release, the training modules pay special attention to the “methodology of dealing with” Western propaganda and teaching how to identify “manipulations” spread on the Internet, which, according to the organization, indicates not only the educational but also the purposeful ideological nature of the program.

According to the organizers, the main goal of the lectures is to form a value system among young people, develop critical thinking, and media literacy. However, DRI believes that such programs actually serve to establish a Russian narrative, where the Kremlin is presented as the main cultural and political center, and the West as a threat.

“Such an approach contributes to the integration of local youth into the ideological space of Russia,” the statement says.

According to the Institute for the Study of Democracy, such activities are a classic example of Russian soft power, the goal of which is to shape public opinion in the occupied regions, ideologically integrate the local population, especially the youth, and ultimately closer political and cultural integration of these territories with Russia.

The organization notes that the education and information sectors are used as the main tools in this process, which in the long term creates favorable conditions for annexation.

In addition, according to DRI, the Znaniye society, which is officially funded by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, also implements similar programs in Abkhazia.

"We should consider such events not only as educational initiatives, but also as part of a broader political and information strategy aimed at further deepening Russian influence in the occupied regions of Georgia," the Institute for the Study of Democracy said in a press release.