OPPONENT'S DEHUMANIZATION AS AN ELEMENT OF HYBRID INFLUENCE

Abstract

The problem of studying the methods of hybrid aggression remains relevant for modern political science. The Kremlin's actions since 2014 have created a significant body of research. Dehumanization can be called a new reading of the principles of Soviet propaganda during World War II. However, in the XXI century, the peculiarities of use and distribution tools for the dehumanization of enemy have changed significantly; it is transformed from aid to one of the main tools of hybrid influence. The mechanisms of dehumanization are fakes, which put pressure on sensitive topics - crimes against children committed by the enemy's military, in some cases - by representatives of other nationalities, and so on. Relevant messages can be conducted not only by eyewitnesses (actual or fictitious) but also by Russian military correspondents, foreign media representatives, and Russian political leadership representatives. The medium of dissemination of relevant information is social and other media. It is necessary to counteract dehumanization by disassembling fakes into components, ensuring officials' prompt response and an adequate narrative. The study of the mechanisms of dehumanization of the enemy - both in the Ukrainian context and in the context of other regional conflicts - seems to be a promising thematic area at the intersection of military history, psychology, cultural anthropology.