The Kremlin is resurrecting Soviet-era narratives about eternal sacrifice in the name of Russia in the face of aggression from outside.
In this way, Moscow is trying to justify the future invasion of Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, but also the long-term mobilization of Russian society.
The Russian authorities are also justifying further militarization and full mobilization of Russian society.
This was warned about by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
On October 28, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated his claims that NATO remains a significant threat to Russia because it is expanding and providing weapons, but also financial and political support to Ukraine.
Lavrov said that NATO is artificially expanding its area of responsibility outside the Euro-Atlantic space, including the Indo-Pacific region, the Middle East, the South Caucasus, and Central and South Asia, in order to contain China, isolate Russia, and counter North Korea.
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said on October 28 that Russia is currently resisting aggressive external pressure and anti-Russian propaganda from the West, and that the West is trying to divide Russia into a series of "ethnic states".
These narratives are not new and are in fact reminiscent of the Soviet Union's Cold War-era justifications that it was "surrounded by enemies.".
The revival of Soviet-era narratives that Russia must defend itself from perceived global threats supports the Kremlin's broader efforts to generates domestic support for a prolonged war in Ukraine and a future military conflict against NATO.
On October 28, Russia's foreign intelligence service falsely claimed that France was preparing a military contingent of 2,000 troops to be sent to Ukraine.
Russian intelligence specifically stated that these forces were part of the French Foreign Legion, which Russian military bloggers had previously claimed was operating in Ukraine — part of a concerted effort by the Kremlin to justify claims that Russia is fighting against NATO, not just Ukraine.
The Kremlin has often used Russian intelligence to spread unfounded claims aimed at undermining support for Ukraine and casting doubt on the nature of Russian provocations against NATO member states.
On October 28, the Russian State Duma approved a bill that would allow Russian authorities to mobilize reservists to protect critical facilities and infrastructure in Russia.
European authorities recently reported unidentified drones near airports in Spain and a military base in Estonia.
European authorities have continued to report Russian hybrid operations in Europe over the past few years.