THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL CONCEPT OF ,,ACTIVE MEASURES” AS A BASIS FOR DISINFORMATION. HISTORICAL-CONCEPTUAL MARKERS
Viorica ZAHARIA, Universitatea de Stat din Moldova
Abstract
Current research on the phenomenon of disinformation highlights the complex nature of this system of practices
that some states have applied in the last century and continue to apply as a means of political influence on societies
in countries considered adversaries. The concept of disinformation is studied and analyzed in correlation with other
related concepts: propaganda, manipulation, information warfare, hybrid warfare, active measures. The notion of
,,active measures” (in the original – активные мероприятия) was part of the terminology of the KGB and the secret
services of the communist bloc states during the Cold War and implies a set of activities that aim to mislead a target,
change its perceptions and determine it to make decisions contrary to its own interests. This article aims to clarify the
concepts of ,,active measures” and ,,disinformation” from a historical perspective, by capitalizing on recent research
and until recently top-secret KGB publications, in order to contribute to a better understanding of the practices underlying the hostile information manipulations present today.
Keywords: active measures, disinformation, KGB, cold war, desecretization, decident.
