Memetic warfare explained: how memes shape propaganda, persuasion and information disorder
Memes are becoming a common feature of modern-day propaganda, flourishing in an age of information disorder. From their widespread use by both sides in the Ukraine war to their appearance in US messaging around Greenland, memes show how humour and rapid online sharing are increasingly used to shape international politics. Digital warfare expert Dr Tine Munk explains.
By Dr Tine Munk | Published on 27 January 2026
Categories: Press office; Research; School of Social Sciences;
What you need to know:
- Memes have become a significant tool of contemporary conflict and warfare, thriving in conditions of information disorder.
- In the Ukraine war, memes are used by both state and grassroots actors to influence opinion, boost morale, and contest power.
- Memes function like modern propaganda posters: emotionally charged, easily shared, and shaped by both institutions and ordinary users.
- Although often dismissed as jokes, memes can carry strategic political messages that shape beliefs, normalise aggression, and distort reality.
What are memes?
Memes are short, shareable pieces of visual or textual content that use humour, symbols, and cultural references to convey meaning.
How are they being used in warfare?
In today’s political environments, memes function as tools of information warfare, shaping how power is projected, contested, and perceived. Depending on tone and target, memes can mobilise supporters, ridicule opponents, persuade audiences, or manipulate opinion.
Their growing role reflects how well memes fit fast-moving digital environments. They are cheap to produce, easy to adapt, and highly shareable.
Memes are the modern equivalent of wartime propaganda posters. Like posters in the First and Second World Wars, they simplify complex political realities, appeal to emotion, and reinforce ideas of identity, unity, and opposition. Ordinary users now create, remix, and spread content alongside institutions, altering traditional power dynamics in political communication.
What does NTU research show?
Our research into the use of memes by grassroots organisations in the Ukraine war shows how humour and satire have been deliberately used as tools of political communication and civic resistance.
During the war in Ukraine, memes circulate alongside military operations, cyber activity, and traditional propaganda, allowing both state and non-state actors to quickly influence public opinion across wide audiences.
Defensive memes counter Russian information disorder, share verified information, boost morale, and strengthen collective resilience.
While this dynamic is especially visible in Ukraine, memes have moved beyond the battlefield and become embedded in political communication more broadly.
Why is this important?
This influence is often underestimated because memes are dismissed as harmless jokes. Some political actors exploit this by using more aggressive memetic communication to spread falsehoods, hostility, and hatred. Offensive memetic warfare embeds manipulation in content that circulates widely and takes hold in echo chambers.
Beneath the humour sit coded messages and strategic framing that can distort reality, normalise aggression, and reinforce power imbalances. Repeated exposure makes once-unacceptable ideas feel familiar, reducing critical scrutiny of their meaning and impact. In this context, humour serves as a shield, allowing serious political messages to pass without challenge.
Treating memes as serious tools of political communication is therefore essential for countering information disorder and protecting democratic communication in contemporary conflicts/ wars.
How to spot manipulative memes:
- Check the source: look at who created or shared the meme and whether they are credible or have a clear agenda.
- Reverse image search: use tools like Google Images to see where the image first appeared and how it has been used before.
- Look for emotional triggers: be cautious if the meme relies on anger, fear, ridicule or outrage to provoke a reaction.
- Consider the intent: ask what the meme is trying to achieve, such as persuading, mocking, misleading or mobilising.
- Verify claims: check any factual statements against trusted news sources or official information.
- Beware recycled content: old or out‑of‑context images are often reused to misrepresent current events.
Dr Tine Munk, Senior Lecturer in Criminology and cybercrime, digital warfare, and memetic warfare researcher.
Dr Tine Munk on the use of memes in the Ukraine war
Read more on memes in warfare by Dr Tine Munk: The complex web in memetic warfare: a comprehensive analysis of societal dynamics, interactions and impact