Media space in the non-controlled Ukrainian territories of Luhansk and Donetsk regions in 2014-2020 in the conditions of the russian-ukrainian war

Considering the current geopolitical situation in Ukraine and information and communication challenges from Russia, which is waging an occupation-hybrid war against our state, special attention should be paid to shaping the worldview of the population in Ukraine’s non-controlled territories of Luhansk and Donetsk regions through the media in 2014-2020. An important role in shaping the Russian worldview of the population in the territories not under Ukraine’s control is played by the media of the so-called ‘LPR’ and ‘DPR’, which operate through methods of total propaganda, intimidation and manipulation. The mass media of the unrecognized republics are effectively used by the Russian Federation as a tool to influence the information and economic space of the occupied territories. In this review, the authors reveal the changes that took place in the digital media space and print media since 2014 in the territories non-controlled by Ukraine. The influence of the local media on the formation of the worldview of Luhansk and Donetsk regions’ population is defined. It is determined that over the past five years, practically all Ukrainian information channels have been supplanted in the non- controlled by Ukraine territories of Luhansk and Donetsk regions. They were replaced by Russian or pro-Russian local mass media, the purpose of which was to promote the values and worldview of the narratives of ‘russkiy mir’ in these territories. It has been proved that the population of Luhansk and Donetsk regions has actually found itself in an information vacuum, with each post, tweet or article being monitored by ‘LDPR public authorities’. There are no Ukrainian newspapers and magazines in the press outlets, while Russian print media predominate. It is determined that feelings of fear for the Ukrainian state policy are artificially formed among local inhabitants in non- controlled territories. The local press primarily publishes articles about ‘spies’ and ‘agents’ of the SBU, as well as nostalgia for the Soviet Union is formed, by glorifying the missing soldiers of the Great Patriotic War