Russian Narratives: Saving Donbas and Language as a Weapon

A special miniseries from the podcast 4 Minutes reveals how the Russian Federation uses words as weapons. We focus on narratives – stories that reshape reality, divide society, and undermine trust in democratic institutions. Step by step, we explore how these narratives arise, why they work, and how to resist them. Each episode is about four minutes long and focuses on a specific story, claim, or method of manipulation. This series is for anyone seeking to understand not just propaganda, but how modern wars are fought – without bullets, using words. 

Transcript

We continue our special miniseries Russian Narratives, in which we explore how words, stories, and historical imagery shape our view of the world and influence the attitudes of entire societies. Today, we turn our attention to one of the most frequently used and repeated narratives, which played a crucial role in legitimizing Russian aggression against Ukraine: the so-called “rescue of the people of Donbas.” This narrative is often summarized in a simple phrase: “We are saving our people.” But behind these words lies a highly complex and purposefully crafted strategy.

For years, Russian propaganda has portrayed Russian-speaking populations in other post-Soviet countries as a threatened minority left at the mercy of oppression, discrimination, and even physical violence—unless Moscow steps in. In recent years, this image has been transferred most forcefully to Donbas, the region in eastern Ukraine where a significant portion of the population speaks Russian as their first language. In this context, language is not merely a means of communication, but a symbol of identity, loyalty, and geopolitical alignment.

After 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and war broke out in Donbas, Russian state media and diplomacy began to intensively spread claims that the Ukrainian government was committing “genocide” against the Russian-speaking population. Emotionally charged testimonies, doctored photos, and edited videos were circulated with the aim of creating the impression that the Russian minority was suffering brutal persecution and needed immediate protection. The term “our people” became a propaganda tool that connected linguistic identity to political loyalty.

This rhetoric is powerful because it draws on deeply rooted notions of collective responsibility and Russia’s historical role as a protector of its people beyond its borders. Similar themes appeared during Soviet interventions in Eastern Europe, where military actions were framed as “brotherly assistance.” Today, these same motives are repackaged as “humanitarian intervention”—a framing that sounds more legitimate to parts of the public than open military aggression.

Linguistic identity is absolutely central in this propaganda. Russian media and officials deliberately blur the line between someone who speaks Russian and someone who is “Russian.” Many Donbas residents speak Russian, but still identify as Ukrainian. Propaganda ignores this and treats the use of the Russian language as proof of national belonging, thus justifying military and political actions.

While the world saw pro-Russian militants and Russian military equipment crossing the border in 2014, Russian narratives claimed it was a spontaneous uprising by the local population rejecting a “fascist coup” in Kyiv. Over time, this image expanded into the defense of the “Russian-speaking space,” which propaganda claimed was under systematic attack by Ukrainian nationalism.

The propaganda went as far as to create a parallel reality. Ukrainian education reforms that strengthened the teaching of Ukrainian were portrayed as linguistic oppression. Street name changes, the removal of Soviet monuments, and cultural revival efforts were depicted as the “erasure of Russian culture.” Everything that promoted Ukrainian identity was framed as hostile.

Another powerful element of this narrative is the portrayal of victimhood. In Russian media, residents of Donbas are shown as suffering people, unjustly shelled by the Ukrainian army and abandoned by the world. This image is reinforced through dramatic videos, tearful personal accounts, and emotional testimonies—often without any verification. The result is a sense that Russia has no choice—it must act.

This narrative creates a false dichotomy: either we help “our people,” or they will be destroyed by “fascist Kyiv.” Such a simplified framework allows Russian propaganda to ignore the complex reality of the conflict, suppress debate, and deflect attention from the actual causes of war.

The narrative of “saving Donbas” also removes individual responsibility. Everything that happens in the region—from the introduction of the ruble, to population displacement, to war crimes—is presented as a necessary part of protecting the Russian people. This framing allows even violence to be legitimized if it is portrayed as defense.

A key part of this strategy is the international spread of these narratives. Russian-language outlets abroad frequently publish stories about the “Donbas crisis” or the “human rights of Russian speakers,” while ignoring or distorting official Ukrainian positions. The goal is not necessarily to convince everyone—but to plant doubt.

In this narrative, language becomes a weapon. Not just a means of communication, but proof of identity, loyalty, and territorial claim. Language becomes a geopolitical factor—not a cultural asset, but a tool of manipulation.

Finally, it's essential to remember that the narrative of saving Donbas is just one part of a broader information strategy aimed at undermining Ukraine’s right to exist as a sovereign state with its own language, history, and direction. And the better we understand these stories, the better equipped we are to resist them.

Thank you for listening to another episode of the Russian Narratives series. In our next episode, we’ll examine the topic of biological laboratories and the conspiracy theories that have emerged around them. If you’d like to follow us beyond this podcast, you can find us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X.