This is a modification of the idiom

going on the

offensive, where it means

taking the offensive.

It means that the Russians’ PR team is pre-emptively attacking (which is this case means communicating their position with media outlets) to force any opposing viewpoint into a defensive posture, which the quote you provided clearly as being “left scrambling to debunk the rumors and fear-mongering. “Yes,

the world has a war.”

This is a modification of the idiom

going on the

offensive, where it means

taking the offensive.

It means that the Russians’ PR team is pre-emptively attacking (which is this case means communicating their position with media outlets) to force any opposing viewpoint into a defensive posture, which the quote you provided clearly as being “left scrambling to debunk the rumors and fear-mongering. “Yes,

the world has a war.”

This is a modification of the idiom

going on the

offensive, where it means

taking the offensive.

It means that the Russians’ PR team is pre-emptively attacking (which is this case means communicating their position with media outlets) to force any opposing viewpoint into a defensive posture, which the quote you provided clearly as being “left scrambling to debunk the rumors and fear-mongering. “Yes,

the world has a war.”

This is a modification of the idiom

going on the

offensive, where it means

taking the offensive.

It means that the Russians’ PR team is pre-emptively attacking (which is this case means communicating their position with media outlets) to force any opposing viewpoint into a defensive posture, which the quote you provided clearly as being “left scrambling to debunk the rumors and fear-mongering. “Yes,

the world has a war.”

This is a modification of the idiom

going on the

offensive, where it means

taking the offensive.

It means that the Russians’ PR team is pre-emptively attacking (which is this case means communicating their position with media outlets) to force any opposing viewpoint into a defensive posture, which the quote you provided clearly as being “left scrambling to debunk the rumors and fear-mongering. “Yes,

the world has a war.”

This is a modification of the idiom

going on the

offensive, where it means

taking the offensive.

It means that the Russians’ PR team is pre-emptively attacking (which is this case means communicating their position with media outlets) to force any opposing viewpoint into a defensive posture, which the quote you provided clearly as being “left scrambling to debunk the rumors and fear-mongering. “Yes,

the world has a war.”

This is a modification of the idiom

going on the

offensive, where it means

taking the offensive.

It means that the Russians’ PR team is pre-emptively attacking (which is this case means communicating their position with media outlets) to force any opposing viewpoint into a defensive posture, which the quote you provided clearly as being “left scrambling to debunk the rumors and fear-mongering. “Yes,

the world has a war.”

This is a modification of the idiom

going on the

offensive, where it means

taking the offensive.

It means that the Russians’ PR team is pre-emptively attacking (which is this case means communicating their position with media outlets) to force any opposing viewpoint into a defensive posture, which the quote you provided clearly as being “left scrambling to debunk the rumors and fear-mongering. “Yes,

the world has a war.”

This is a modification of the idiom

going on the

offensive, where it means

taking the offensive.

It means that the Russians’ PR team is pre-emptively attacking (which is this case means communicating their position with media outlets) to force any opposing viewpoint into a defensive posture, which the quote you provided clearly as being “left scrambling to debunk the rumors and fear-mongering. “Yes,

the world has a war.”

This is a modification of the idiom

going on the

offensive, where it means

taking the offensive.

It means that the Russians’ PR team is pre-emptively attacking (which is this case means communicating their position with media outlets) to force any opposing viewpoint into a defensive posture, which the quote you provided clearly as being “left scrambling to debunk the rumors and fear-mongering. “Yes,

the world has a war.”