How is the Russian propaganda machine made? The experience of Mariupol

During the months of war on the information front, the picture of the Russian information machine became clear and transparent. Especially in our case, when part of your front is narrow, concentrated on one city-hero, and the analysis is done daily almost from the first day of the war.
I am sure we need to know how this works in order to oppose effectively at all levels, not just against counter-propaganda.
The main principle of the Russian information military machine is multi-layered. As a result, there is no level of communication to which they have not descended.

Topriven - official speakers of Putin, Peskov and various influential people. They utter theses and narratives. But they successfully rely on their own lower-level sources.
The first level is the official media (national). This is usually just news with a reference to lower sources.
Level 1- media propagandists, a la nightingales, etc. Their task is a test of absolutely wild statements, emotional strengthening and connection of the lower level with the first and the highest level.

The second level are journalists. During the war they are mostly military journalists. They are everywhere in fact. They write, they shoot. They are the ones who forge and place lies, manipulations and distortions.
Level 3 - experts. These are experts from local Russian to foreign. Their expertise is confirmed by the real name in the texts. Sometimes they have some positions abroad, but all those positions are related to Russian structures. They reinforce the lies of journalists and twist them into "professional" texts for higher levels.
Third level - associates. This is just about repeating theses and adding manipulative statements. After these statements, the information takes a different form and at the same time diverges at the up and down level. Pure legalization of new lies.

Fourth level - "volunteers". They appear at the same time as the occupiers. Here we work with the population of the occupied territories directly, which is especially reflected on social networks. Everything is always based on emotions: they suffered, then help came, they felt bad - they came good. For the most part, their work takes place in a state of complete or partial information vacuum in the occupied territories.
Fifth level - chat administrators. During the occupation, many questions arise at once. From evacuation to simple everyday. At the same time, there are many chats on all social networks with answers to these questions.
In the beginning, "without politics", but over time, all narratives of a higher level are introduced and dominate.
At the beginning of such conversations, it is impossible to determine either the affiliation or the nature of the administrator, so the spread is growing very fast.
All of these levels work in both directions. If you have the whole network in front of your eyes, you can see how the information from the top reaches the fourth level. And vice versa. According to the experience of Mariupol, the full cycle lasts up to four hours, depending on the importance and purpose.
The second main principle is manageability and consistency. There is no place for amateur activities. Almost word for word. But exactly according to the instructions, the information is spreading.

Sometimes it happens that somewhere at the level of journalists, someone includes a story with emotions, as was the case with Azovstal. And at the moment, it either removes or publicly changes the rhetoric in accordance with the course of the entire machinery.
It is a really powerful, well-designed and capable machine. Yes, we finally won it in Mariupol.
We have organized information resistance from the lowest to the official level, as much as possible, but ... But our experience shows the inconsistency of actions not only in our country.
As a country, we have taken a good position at the top level and at the first level. But then there is either a war without us, or without everyone. Texts, columns, chats, volunteers and all other conditional levels are mostly silent. There is a continuous mahnovism.
Freedom of speech, truth, principles can be invoked. But the real war is different.
We have and must build our information troops. Our own. No fighting. Regardless of a quiet life. With one priority - winning and saving the lives of Ukrainians.

There are no other options.