Countering Russian Propaganda in Ukraine
Ukraine
In 2014, Russia launched a war in Ukraine, eventually annexing the entire Crimean peninsula and occupying two eastern provinces.
Ukrainian soldiers fighting to preserve their country’s independence were being bombarded by morale-crushing Russian propaganda with no alternative source of information or entertainment.
The US Army, State Department, and US Ambassador to Ukraine identified the critical need to support a Ukrainian radio station to disseminate crucial information to the Ukrainian troops on the front lines.
In just 3 weeks, Spirit of America committed the necessary funding to start ArmyFM: a Ukrainian-operated radio station. The funds purchased the equipment needed to produce programming at ArmyFM’s studio in Kyiv, and transmitters to broadcast the signal in the East where the fighting was raging.
With Spirit of America’s support, ArmyFM was launched only two months later and quickly became the most popular internet station in Ukraine. Within one year, it reached 15 cities and covered over 80% of the occupied territory in Eastern Ukraine.
Spirit of America also provided ArmyFM with management and programming expertise. A former ClearChannel executive, and member of our partner GLG, visited ArmyFM in Ukraine three times to advise management and staff.
Today, ArmyFM provides daily news, music, and reporting for Ukraininan troops in 25 cities, including six cities in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine. ArmyFM has boosted the morale of Ukrainian soldiers that continue to fight on the front lines of Russian aggression.
