In the service of the Kremlin: How conspiracy theories, the supernatural, and the otherworldly have been converted into weapons in the occupation of Crimea

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the systematic use of mysticism, occult practices, and conspiracy narratives as a political influence tool in the information and psychological operations (IPsO) of the Russian Federation. It is shown that interest in the otherworldly and paranormal has deep cultural and historical roots in the Russian and broader Eastern Slavic context, and was amplified during the late USSR and post-Soviet transformation period. In the 1990s, society saw a surge in trust in psychics, “healers,” fortune tellers, and television gurus, which was a consequence of the crisis of institutional trust and the search for alternative mechanisms to explain reality. During this period, new mass practices of “collective magic” and the production of the illusion of control over the future emerged, which were later integrated into state information strategies.

Particular attention is paid to the role of the special services, which transformed the conspiracy toolkit into a systemic component of management decisions and information influence. It is stressed that mystical images and narratives about the "sacred mission of Russia" were actively used to create the emotional foundation for the occupation of Crimea, forming the illusion of its "historical inevitability" and justifying aggressive policies. Mysticism and conspiracy serve as a powerful means of destroying the rational perception of reality, ensuring the substitution of facts with symbols and the imposition of a narrative favorable to the Kremlin. These discourses intentionally amplify the emotional perception of events and simultaneously weaken critical thinking. It is concluded that the combination of irrational beliefs and professional disinformation technologies ensures a high level of influence on the collective consciousness, allowing for the effective shaping of the population's political behaviour, making it one of the key mechanisms of modern Russian political strategy. The results of the study contribute to understanding how irrational belief systems are used in modern hybrid warfare and psychological influence campaigns.