Russia's special military operation against Ukraine seems to be strong against weak, and force is the ultimate determining factor. However, in the Internet age, who is strong and who is weak, not only looks at the military, but also becomes more intense in the economic, financial, media, and propaganda levels.
Looking closely at the Ukrainian routine, it is not simple, with a "mourning soldier" posture, step by step on the network, step by step, in a hierarchical manner, to force the West and Russia entities with interests to decouple from Russia, so that Russia is isolated.
Number one killer: Block finance
In addition to President Zelenskiy's responsibility for communicating with Western political leaders and winning the support of public opinion, The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation In the Ukrainian government, Federov, played a key role, from which it can be seen how the two cooperated to mobilize the West to achieve the encirclement and suppression of Russia.
Shortly after the start of the war, he used social media and email to move soldiers everywhere, sending letters to the directors of Apple, Meta (formerly Facebook), Google, Netflix, PayPal and other companies, asking them to stop providing services to Russia and kill Russia's official propaganda channels.
This trick is not spicy.
In the financial sector, for example, on the third day of the war, minister Federov demanded that Russia be cut off from SWIFT, the earliest voice to demand sanctions on Russia at the financial level, and explicitly put forward the concept of so-called "anti-Putin's business".
He shouted at multinational financial services firm VISA and Mastercard, the company Mastercard, saying that there are two steps to ending the Putin regime: first, not only sanction banks, but also to completely kick Russia out of the Visa and MasterCard systems; second, completely block the Apple Store and Google Store, which may cause an irreversible blow!
Through his appeal, Ukraine received a confirmation letter from the online third-party payment service provider PayPal company, shut down its services in Russia, and promised to start operations in Ukraine as soon as possible.
On March 8, he called for help from Amazon and Bezos, citing a United Nations report that the war had caused more than 1.7 million Ukrainians to flee their homes! I urge you to stop this situation!
On March 12, he tweeted directly in Chinese characters and named "China UnionPay".
It has to be said that the minister is very sensitive to the internet, netizens, public opinion, and figures, and he said that modern technology is one of the best responses to tanks, rockets and missiles.
Block the application and information release channels of Russian social platforms
He punched Russia seven inches with a unique combination, which was to block Russian social platform applications and information release channels.
One of the characteristics of his mode of expression is that values come first, first describing the tragic situation of the war, and then making demands.
48 hours after the start of the war, Federov contacted Apple CEO Cook, interacted with him on social platforms, asked to block the use of the Apple Store by citizens of the Russian Federation, and asked Cook to support the PACKAGE of US government sanctions!
He called out to Google about stopping the supply of Google services and products to Russia, including blocking access to the Google Store, payments and cloud services.
He also called on Netflix, a Netflix company, to block Russian access to Netflix and shut down Russian content.
On Twitter, one of the most active platforms for individual users, he persuaded the company to block Russians from signing up new accounts.
"Our goal is not to block the russians from the source of information, but to involve young people," Federov said. Your Tsar (Putin) has taken you to nowhere. You should act now. We believe this will inspire motivated young people to stop this war! ”
But all the giants in the Internet industry, he does public relations one by one.
He shouted to Zuckerberg that when you created the metaverse, Russia ruined real life in Ukraine! Ask you to ban facebook and instgram from Russia!
After receiving a positive response, Federov thanked Metacostem Corporation, saying, "Metaversity has no place for war criminals."
After getting Zuckerberg, he turned to YouTube CEO Susan Wosiki and Google CEO Pi Chai, saying that Meta is stepping up to shut down Russian lies and call for the Russian state media to be removed from the system (deplatform).
He said that he intends to help Russians and the world understand the truth, so it is necessary to block the Russian media, such as Russia 24 (a Russian-language news channel under the All-Russian State Television Broadcasting Corporation), TASS, Russia Today, satellite news agencies and so on.
Federov is particularly good at the work of young people, he himself is only 31 years old, at the age of 28 he became deputy prime minister, the youngest deputy prime minister and minister in Ukraine, using his youth, and scientific and technological strengths to open up new fronts and fight a war other than military with Russia.
This post-90s generation is not ordinary.
On March 1, he called on Apple Music and Spotify, a Swedish online music streaming service platform, to allow Ukrainian artists to change their album covers to draw attention to the war.
He asked SAP (a German software company specializing in enterprise resource management software) and Oracle that "sanctions be imposed as soon as possible, and it is not enough to stop selling in Russia!" To stop supporting SAP products! ”
Seeking IT support, big V endorsement, the routine is very deep
Federov's weapon is digital technology and a master of cyber warfare.
His energy is a huge supplement to Ukraine at the military level, while for Russia, it is a huge supplement to him.
He shouted to Microsoft and Bill Gates to "block access to Azure, Skype, GitHub from Russia."
For Intel Intel, it defines the value of its services: "Your best technology solution is designed for peace." I urge you to stop selling solutions to Russia! ”
One of the biggest "rescuers" Federov brought in was Musk, especially the Starlink program. Its role is to provide global "high-speed, low-latency broadband network services" without ground wiring. After the Launch of the Starlink Plan in Ukraine, it will be able to maintain the network whether Russian artillery fire destroys Ukraine's network infrastructure or not.
Fedorov, who understands the way to interact with Musk, says ," "While you're busy colonizing Mars, Russia is taking Ukraine!" When your rocket returned to Earth from space, the Russian rocket fired at the Ukrainians. We want you to get Ukraine to use the Starlink network and call on normal Russians to come forward. ”
Federov quickly got a reply from Musk that "the Starlink network is already available in Ukraine, and more devices are about to go live."
Musk's response was not just lip service, Federov posted three photos of the arrival of StarLink network equipment on Twitter on March 1, 10 and 16, saying that "technology is our future." Today it helps Ukrainians! It helps the new good triumph over the old evil. Ukraine represents the future."
Musk warned that "Starlink is the only non-Russian communications system operating in Ukraine and is therefore likely to be a Russian military target," reminding Ukrainians to use it with caution.
Musk, who has always been unique and maverick, has also increased his line to "go head-to-head" with Putin for Ukraine.
Fedorov's sense of netting was very good, responding to Musk saying, "Putin can be sent to Jupiter just in case."
The net comes, the net goes, but the actual effect penetrates the offline.
Military edge ball
At the military level, it is not Fedorov's main battlefield, but he is also good at rubbing the side ball.
Although Ukraine's dream of joining NATO is far away, it is difficult to marry a tycoon.
But the core is to enjoy the "organizational guarantee". On March 5, Federov announced that Ukraine is a member of the NATO Center for Excellence for Joint Cyber Defense (NATO CCDCOE), headquartered in Estonia, with a mission focused on dealing with information, intelligence, and disinformation.
In his own assessment, it was "a super important political victory."
Apocalypse of War in the Internet Age
As the conflict continues, Federov will continue to make various requests.
In this war, politics and military may still be the main battlefield, but the game in the fields of finance, communications, network, payment, and propaganda has an unprecedented impact on the course of the war.
As a relatively weak country militarily, Ukraine has used international multi-field forces to compete with Russia.
In the era of globalization, after the people's life and work are deeply tied to the Internet, Ukraine, as a "mourning soldier", "kidnaps" large international enterprises in the name of so-called peace and humanity by playing the sad card, and from the perspective of the response of all parties, there is a high degree of cooperation in isolating Russia.
These enterprises tighten their services to Russia, basically cutting off the possibility of Russia relying on external circulation for assistance and replenishment, and need to rely entirely on their own strength to use local products and services to deal with this blockade.
This hand from Ukraine against Russia is also, to some extent, an attempt by the West to collectively strangle Russia, and if Russia cannot get out of trouble, it will become a contemporary example of "killing with a knife" and "defeating the strong with the weak".
The essence of Zelenskiy, Federov and others using the Internet is to "direct" the West against Russia, pointing out how to deal with Russia, especially at the level of people's livelihood, with the purpose of making the Russian people oppose Putin in the midst of hardship, and then increasing the "pouring movement" through infiltration and funding, so as to achieve regime change and make Russia change at the lowest cost.
If there is this successful example, it is very likely that the West will follow a similar routine in dealing with China in the future, that is, after the local conflict is detonated at a fixed point, the West will blockade China in all directions, paralyze its services to China, and knock China back into a closed country.
If you look at the Russian-Ukrainian conflict from the most serious point of view, it is a rehearsal of the West's future attempt to strangle China. Collectively dealing with Russia is a real battle for the West.
After all, Russia's comprehensive strength is not as good as China's, and China's management control over the industrial chain and supply chain is also stronger, and its weaknesses are fewer, making it a more difficult opponent for the West to deal with and a more difficult bone to gnaw.
In any case, from the perspective of China's defense, every detail of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is worth carefully studying, and comparing itself with itself, from which to find a way to make up for its own shortcomings and plug loopholes, especially to thoroughly investigate the external dependence on the economy, finance, media, and communication channels, and be prepared for both hands and win a modern war in the Internet era at any time.