Video games are now being used as a propaganda tool by Russia, particularly to spread its version of the war in Ukraine. The latest example is “Ukrainian Warfare: Gostomel Heroes”, a game released on March 31, 2026 on the popular video game platform Steam.
The scenario is set at the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, during the highly strategic battle of Hostomel airport near Kiev in February 2022. The creators of the video game, the Russian studio Cats Who Play, promise a very realistic reconstruction of the events, but in reality, they are presenting a truncated version of the story.
In this game, fully translated into English, the player commands a Russian helicopter crew at Hostomel and is tasked with taking control of the airport by eliminating Ukrainian soldiers. While the game accurately recreates the runways, aircraft, hangars, the narrative itself does not correspond to reality, especially regarding the massacred civilians. The game claims that the Russian army spares the population. When contacted by Radio France’s verification agency, the game creators admitted that they want to impose their version of this operation and believe that the battle of Hostomel is the most falsified by Ukrainian authorities.
More and more video game creators are using ongoing conflicts, primarily Russians, to reinforce their narratives in their country and to reach an audience beyond Russian borders. According to journalist Romain Mielcarek, a defense specialist and video game enthusiast, this strategy allows them to reach a wider audience and challenge mainstream media narratives.
The effectiveness of such an operation is hard to measure, but it is part of a broader Russian information battle. State funds have been allocated to encourage all creative industries to develop propaganda materials, including in cinema, TV series, and video games. Unlike films and TV series, video games are distributed without restrictions on major platforms.
