Blowing the Whistle on Russian Hybrid Tactics

During the 9th Sakharov Conference in Vilnius From Cold War to Hybrid, Alexander Atroshchankau spoke with Kateryna Smagliy (McCain Institute), author of the acclaimed report Hybrid Analytics.

The report discusses for the first time the Kremlin’s system of influence through the “second track diplomacy” – with the help of “thought factories” connected with the Russian state and oligarchs, the introduction of Russian centres into Western academic institutions, and the engagement of individual experts. The report, for the first time, raised the question of where academic freedom and freedom of opinion ends and where the projection of influence and responsibility for it begins.

Your report on hybrid analytics made a lot of noise and many criticized its conclusions. Mark Galeotti called it a hybrid manifestation and propaganda. Why was the reaction so acute?

Marc Galeotti worked for some time in Prague and, perhaps, he had a biased attitude towards European Values ​​Think Tank, which is known for its sharp and vicious criticism of the Kremlin.

He may have learned that I wrote this report with the assistance of this think tank, and based on this association, he built his bias. And I think when he wrote his somewhat hasty tweet, he still had not read the report to the end and did not understand that it was based on facts, and many times re-checked, including by lawyers who read this document before publication.