Russia’s Practice of Maskirovka is No Longer Camouflaged
(Please note this was written in 2019 — it has only become more relevant)
We live in a time when deception and disinformation are normal in communications and dialogue. Deception is the act of making someone believe something that is not true. Disinformation is false information spread deliberately. Instead of healthy exchanges, we now enter rigged chess games that make everyone’s heads spin and ultimately confuse the players themselves. In the end, this leads to self-deception.
“Don’t tell me of deception; a lie is a lie, whether it be a lie to the eye or a lie to the ear.” Samuel Johnson
All militaries seek to lead enemies astray. Meanwhile, espionage is equated to a game. Politicians and businesspeople have been known to dupe, defraud, cheat and swindle. Organized religion, the media, and government institutions have lost trust. A study by Nielsen shows these traditional constructs no longer garner the same respect and confidence.
People now turn to peers for information on politics, brands, social issues, health, and basically, any other topic. What this amounts to, is the decay and loss of longstanding belief systems for new and perceivably better ones. That is fine. We are all responsible for presiding over the renewal of how we conduct ourselves. The danger is how we may have been deluded along the way.
The Russian military employs a honed doctrine of deception. It is Maskirovka, Russian for “masking” or “camouflage”. It is a critical component of the Russian military and intelligence mindset. I believe it has pervaded the thinking of the Russian nation to be a commonly accepted way to conduct one’s self.
“A deception that elevates us is dearer than a host of low truths.” Marina Ivanovna Tsvetaeva, Russian Poet
In combat, it has been noted, a fog forms. Plans go awry when the enemy is engaged and bullets fly. That is why military forces have “after-action reports”. These dissect what happened in battle. They are often wildly inaccurate due to this “fog”. The Russian military deliberately manufactures “the fog of war” through Maskirovka to increase ambiguity and indecision in opposing forces.
It is a powerful and effective doctrine. It knocks opponents off-balance and increases doubt in an adversary while concealing any weakness in Russian forces. This began 100 years ago with battlefield concealment, decoys and dummies, and fake maneuvers of troops. It has expanded and become much more sophisticated. It is now used in strategic, political, and diplomatic realms. Whether it be the manipulation of facts, misperceptions that affect the media and opinion around the world, or digital interference in other countries.
The 2014 annexation of Crimea and the subsequent war in the Donbass region are pure Maskirovka. This includes the denial of the use of Russian soldiers, concealing troops and materials in “humanitarian” convoys, and accusing others of certain actions including the shooting down of civilian aircraft. To the Russian military, this is business as usual, as normal as putting on a uniform.
The U.S. and NATO also recognize military deception, psychological operations, electronic warfare, information operations, and unconventional warfare. The big difference is how Russia applies Maskirovka in non-military matters and during times of peace. The goal is to keep opponents off-balance at all times.
“We are never so easily deceived as when we imagine we are deceiving others.” Francois de la Rochefoucauld
Maskirovka has been in action during the Trump presidency. Even before politics and the presidential election, people spoke of the Trump brand. I never believed it was consciously envisioned, strategized or groomed. It always appeared and felt opportunistic and self-serving. Since this met with success it gave Mr. Trump license to behave in ways most people would label immoral, brutish, and cruel.
Through the years from developer to reality television star to President, the brand and its values have moved from opportunistic to include hypocrisy, bluntness, lack of awareness, and attack. President Trump never assumes a defensive posture as that would telegraph fault, and fault is weakness.
This is clear in his public statements regarding Russia. Of course, denying collusion in the election is a must. Otherwise, it undermines the legitimacy of his presidency. President Trump’s flipflopping on election interference has looked both inept and politically astute. Keep them guessing, in other words. Now his most recent view, that he fears future Russian meddling will benefit the Democrats speaks to a fear of that party gaining ground while projecting a tough-on-Russia stance. It is quite smart. The President gets it both ways.
“The people of the world having once been deceived, suspect deceit in truth itself.” Hitopadesa
Denial and deception have long been part of the Trump brand. Even when caught in blatant falsehoods throughout his career this practice was deployed. Arguably, some people admire this and equate it to confidence and single-minded toughness. More and more, it betrays personal opportunism. He will say whatever is beneficial and expedient for himself at any time.
In many ways, President Trump is progressive when it comes to communications and media. His use of television and Twitter display a shocking understanding of everything Marshall McLuhan, the guru of media theory, advanced. President Trump is establishing himself as both media and message. This assumed position as ultimate authority allows him to criticize others while discounting his own actions and behaviours.
It would be an interesting exercise to write, “The President Trump Brand Guidelines”. His positioning of personal opportunism is crystal clear. He goes-to-market not trying to please everyone which is a key tenet of branding. He relies on sizzle not steak so at least you are entertained. And he speaks in the simplest language through soundbites and taglines, that in repetition become engrained.
Detractors call for substance and decorum from the President while supporters cheer the perceived clarity of message. In the end, President Trump achieves what he set out for. His goal is to be in the news all of the time. Thus, his fixations on crowds, followers, ratings and the like. He is less concerned with the narrative, the content, and the impact.
“Only one deception is possible in the infinite sense, self-deception.” Soren Kierkegaard
If you think this is a diatribe against the actions of Russia or the current American president, you are only partially correct. I cite them as examples and to illustrate a far grander issue. I fear that in this era of Maskirovka, one that creates a fog of deception and denial, that we will soon lose the ability to separate fact from fiction, perception from reality, and sound purpose from self-serving motivation.
Trust is the belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. It is the glue in any relationship. Communication shares and imparts information that provides clarity and connection. Together, they allow us to form opinions and make decisions. In the era of Maskirovka, trust and communication are at an all-time low.
Regardless of where you stand on whatever issue, the result is a widespread, collective self-deception that we only have ourselves to blame for ever having allowed.
