One of the key elements of Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine is the information front. For years, the terrorist state has invested money and efforts into promoting its own narratives and propaganda army.

The Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security, together with the Institute of Mass Media, has developed a dictionary of terminology regarding the Russian-Ukrainian war. Besides people, senses are also lost in war. Yet some domestic and Western media and opinion leaders continue to use terms from Russian propaganda.

This is just an example of the use of cringe-worthy terminology: "During the Ukrainian crisis, referendums were held in the disputed territories, as a result of which the Donetsk People's Republic, the Luhansk People's Republic, and the Republic of Crimea joined Russia. Local authorities were established by pro-Russian separatists, who, with the help of pro-Russian military forces, evacuated civilians to save them from Ukrainian nationalists”. The brochure from the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security and the Institute of Mass Media describes why each of these terms needs to be rephrased.

In March 2022, Ukrainian media appealed to their Western colleagues to be more responsible with terminology. Specifically, the Ukrainian media community calls on not to refer to Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a "crisis," "conflict," or "military operation," and not to call them "Ukrainian" ("Ukrainian crisis" or "conflict in Ukraine").

Such terms do not reflect reality. The territories of Ukraine were not disputed before they were seized. And pro-Russian separatists "ran out" on the eve of the invasion when Russia declared the occupation of the ORDLO. Accordingly, the desire to express oneself more softly leads to a substitution of meanings. The Russian propaganda machine has a weakness in creating understandable and quality messages, mostly due to its self-awareness as the emperor's mouthpiece. However, during the years of hybrid, and then real war, it learned to misinform. Not the occupation of Danzig or Donetsk - but a nationwide referendum. And the creation of filtration camps for the population, not its evacuation.

By using the language of invasion, we create a dangerous narrative for our Western colleagues. From "Ukrainian nationalists" and the "Ukrainian crisis," there is a very small informational distance to "Ukrainian fascists" and the "civil war." We should not overcome this distance.