Jon Roozenbeek is an award-winning researcher whose work straddles psychology, area studies, and computer science. He studies the psychology of misinformation and group identity in times of conflict. Roozenbeek holds a Ph.D. in Slavonic Studies from the University of Cambridge and is the author of The Psychology of Misinformation (Cambridge University Press, 2024) with Sander van der Linden.

• Introduction; 1. A history of Russian–Ukrainian relations; 2. The politics of the Donbas 'Republics'; 3. Building a propaganda machine; 4. Newspaper narratives in occupied Ukraine; 5. Identity and ideology in online media; 6. The consequences of propaganda; Concluding remarks; Appendices.

'Roozenbeek's book is a valuable contribution to comprehending Russia's war against Ukraine. Its uniqueness lies in its focus on the role that the people's republics of Donetsk and Luhansk played in the Russian propaganda. These regimes are falsely portrayed by Moscow as regions breaking free from Ukraine in 2014 due to popular will. Roozenbeek skilfully dismantles this and other myths through a thorough analysis of news articles and policy documents, and also shows how this propaganda failed to convince most Russian-speaking Ukrainians. A remarkable accomplishment!' Egbert Fortuin, University of Leiden