Ambassadors of war: Social and semantic networks of Belarusian pro-government Telegram channels during the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Abstract

This study examined the response of Belarusian pro-government Telegram channels to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine in its initial phase (22 February to 24 March 2022). A socio-semantic network approach was used to analyse the relationships between 21 influential pro-government channels and the concepts they disseminate. We applied a four-stage framework based on mutual citation analysis, extended hyperlink analysis, bipartite channel-concept network analysis, and inter-conceptual relations analysis.

The findings indicate that Belarusian pro-government channels function as critical intermediaries between Russian media and local Lukashenka supporters. The network structure reveals two principal centres of media activity: one focusing on disseminating pro-Russian military content, and the other propagating messages supporting the Belarusian government. This distinction is also evident in the main topics discussed, which can be categorised as pro-Russian warfare, pro-Russian foreign policy, Belarusian domestic policy, and pro-Lukashenka content. Notably, the high proportion of war-related concepts within this semantic structure suggests that Russian political language has significantly influenced the network of pro-government channels, challenging the maintenance of domestic Belarusian narratives. Furthermore, anonymous channels on the network's periphery disseminate more explicitly aggressive war-related concepts, potentially operating with greater autonomy from direct government control.

This study contributes to understanding information warfare dynamics in Eastern Europe during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. It provides insights into the complexities of information networks in contested political spaces by revealing how both social and semantic relations between Telegram channels shape media agendas.