America needs a voice to reach the Russian people

In 1947, Voice of America (VOA) began broadcasting to Soviet Union citizens under the pretext of countering “more harmful instances of Soviet propaganda directed against American leaders and policies” on the part of the internal Russian-language media. It was effective, and the Soviet Union responded by initiating electronic jamming of VOA broadcasts on April 24, 1949.

During the Cold War, VOA provided a counter-narrative to the citizens of our adversaries. It broadcast a message to those who lived behind the Iron Curtain. Call it propaganda, or influencing, but its effect contributed to the “fall of the wall” and independence for many countries stuck behind it. 

But radio programs in Russian ended in July 2008. Given the political environment at that time, it was likely a victim of budget cuts. Then again, maybe the U.S. government felt social media platforms were more effective — and the least intrusive means of reaching citizens of oppressed countries. 

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, Western sanctions against Russia, its oligarchs, and now Russian President Vladimir Putin’s daughters, have had no apparent impact on Putin’s decision-making. In fact, they may make him more determined to inflict pain upon innocent Ukraine civilians. Putin’s response to the latest sanctions was a rocket attack on a packed train station in Kramatorsk, killing at least 50 civilians.

The biggest threat to Putin is his own people — and we should be exploiting that threat. He knows this and has resorted to Stalinist tactics to control the messages Russians receive. The Russian Parliament passed a law on March 4 making public actions aimed at “discrediting” Russia’s army illegal and banning the spread of fake news, or the “public dissemination of deliberately false information about the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation,” and Putin later stated his country will undergo a natural and necessary “self-purification” of “traitors.” In addition, Russia blocked Facebook and Twitter as part of its censorship campaign — in essence, controlling the narrative, telling the Russian people what they should know. The result: Putin shut down the counter-narrative; he owns the message.

The U.S. Army has an entire branch devoted to this mission: psychological operations (PSYOPS). According to their webpage, “PSYOPS soldiers benefit the Army’s missions by using unconventional techniques. Their intelligence, interpersonal skills, cultural sensitivity, and foreign language proficiency help sway opinions and actions of foreign governments, groups, and individuals.” One of their missions is Military Information Support Operations, or MISO, which involves sharing specific information with foreign audiences to influence the emotions, motives, reasoning and behavior of foreign governments and citizens. This can include cyber warfare and advanced communication techniques across all forms of media. 

Maybe planners in the Pentagon are working on something we don’t necessarily need to know about. But conventional, check-the-box thinking involving Putin’s invasion of Ukraine isn’t working. We need something — someone — thinking outside the box.

Enter SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and his satellite project, Starlink, a system of satellites aimed at providing wireless internet access via space. Musk intends to put 12,000 satellites into Earth’s orbit over the next decade, possibly rising to 42,000. The “mega-constellation” eventually would be able to beam internet coverage to anywhere on earth and provide users with high-speed, low-latency internet coverage. Because Starlink satellites would be 60 times closer to earth than most satellites, SpaceX’s WiFi latency is lower than traditional satellite internet. With the volume of satellites in orbit, it would be virtually impossible for Russia to jam the signal, thus creating a reliable outlet for Russian citizens to get accurate information. 

There is a drawback, though. To receive the data, users need access to a Sky TV-style satellite dish. But perhaps a solution to that issue could be overcome if the U.S. government were to partner with SpaceX to get the signal through.

The Russian people need to know what’s really happening in Ukraine. They need to know where all the conscripts, their children, are going and why they aren’t coming back. Why their economy has taken a turn for the worse and their rubles are worth next to nothing outside the country.  They need to understand why their president started this war, and the atrocities his military are committing against the Ukraine people, their ethnic kin. They need an information outlet to which they can turn for the truth.

The U.S. government needs an alternative, non-kinetic method to disrupt Putin’s plan — something to mobilize the Russian population into action. President Biden may say he wasn’t advocating for regime change in Russia when he stated “this man [Putin] cannot remain in power,” but that’s really the only outcome the world can accept given the crimes committed by Putin and his military in Ukraine. There is no return to normal.

Jonathan Sweet, a retired Army colonel, served 30 years as a military intelligence officer. His background includes tours of duty with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and the Intelligence and Security Command. He led the U.S. European Command Intelligence Engagement Division from 2012-14, working with NATO partners in the Black Sea and Baltics.