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Insurgent-Influencer as (Un)likely Purveyor of Public Diplomacy Within Contemporary Social Media Environments: A Longitudinal Study of an American Fighter in Donbas, Eastern Ukraine

Marta N. Lukacovic & Buket Oztas

American Behavioral Scientist2026https://doi.org/10.1177/00027642251408909article
AJG 1ABDC B
Weight
0.50

Abstract

Traditional approaches to public diplomacy would not expect an American man who takes part in a foreign armed struggle to become an effective purveyor of public diplomacy messages, particularly on behalf of Russia. However, that is what Russell Bentley accomplished for nearly a decade on social media. Therefore, it is paramount to adopt an integrated approach to public diplomacy (IPD) that recognizes the complexities and fluidities of contemporary identities, media, and geopolitical landscapes. Through IPD, we outline how Bentley, precisely because he was an American, an insurgent, and a worker, was able to become an influencer who could relate to other Westerners and convey captivating stories to them.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/00027642251408909

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@article{marta2026,
  title        = {{Insurgent-Influencer as (Un)likely Purveyor of Public Diplomacy Within Contemporary Social Media Environments: A Longitudinal Study of an American Fighter in Donbas, Eastern Ukraine}},
  author       = {Marta N. Lukacovic & Buket Oztas},
  journal      = {American Behavioral Scientist},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/00027642251408909},
}

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Insurgent-Influencer as (Un)likely Purveyor of Public Diplomacy Within Contemporary Social Media Environments: A Longitudinal Study of an American Fighter in Donbas, Eastern Ukraine

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.