Disinformation as an Instrument of Hybrid Warfare: Publications from the Period of the 1921 Occupation (the Case of the Newspaper “Kommunisti”) and Contemporary Threats to Georgia

Abstract Book of the 11th International Conference on Advanced Research in Social Sciences and Humanities

Year: 2026

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Disinformation as an Instrument of Hybrid Warfare: Publications from the Period of the 1921 Occupation (the Case of the Newspaper "Kommunisti") and Contemporary Threats to Georgia

Prof. Dr. Nana Amiranashvili, Tamar Iakobashvili

ABSTRACT:

The paper examines disinformation as a key instrument of hybrid warfare, based on Georgia’s historical and contemporary experience. It demonstrates how propagandistic narratives were established following the Sovietization of Georgia and how Russian disinformation continues today.
The aim of the study is to identify the formation of Bolshevik propagandistic discourse in Georgia after the Russian occupation of 1921 and to reveal parallels with contemporary Russian informational narratives.
The research employs a qualitative methodology, combining content analysis, discourse analysis, and comparative analysis. The empirical material includes articles published in March 1921 in the newspaper Kommunisti – a period immediately following the Sovietization of Georgia on February 25, reflecting the formation of propagandistic narratives by the new regime. In parallel, publications from contemporary Russian media are analyzed using a case study approach.
The analysis reveals that the primary objective of propaganda was to transform the context of events- presenting military intervention as an “internal revolution,” delegitimizing opponents, and discrediting alternative information. Similar strategies are evident in contemporary Russian media, where the so-called independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia is interpreted as self-determination, and borderization is normalized. The case of Archil Tatunashvili illustrates victim delegitimization and the concealment of violence.
Comparative analysis shows that the core strategies of disinformation remain fundamentally unchanged after 100 years, adapting to the modern political and informational environment. These findings are important for understanding information security challenges both in Georgia and in the broader international context.

Keywords: 1921 Occupation; Disinformation; Hybrid Warfare; Kommunisti, Russian Media