Rethinking Russian Hybrid Warfare

While Moscow's use of hybrid tactics has been successful, hard security still rules the day

14 March 2023

Matej Kandrík

Marcin Król Fellow

We have overhyped the effectiveness of Russian hybrid warfare, but there are many lessons we can learn from where they have succeeded in preparing an environment for more direct control by the Kremlin.

Russian hybrid warfare has been prominent in security policy-related debates in recent years. The concept emerged in the military analysts’ community and spread quickly into media, public debate, and decision-makers’ vocabulary.

Crimean Origin

While the initial academic conceptualisation of hybrid warfare can be traced back to the first Chechen war or the 2006 Lebanese war, these were very different from so-called Russian hybrid warfare. The main trigger was the actions of Russia against Ukraine in 2014, especially the spectacular act of annexation of Crimea and the subsequent armed conflict in Donbas.

Especially the Crimea case caused significant surprise, even shock, and indeed, confusion in the eyes of Western observers. To explain the rapid, smooth and successful Russian actions leading to the Crimea takeover, there was a need to come up with an explanation outside the ordinary. Russian hybrid warfare was born.

Subscribe

Democratic security comes at a price. What is yours? By subscribing or donating now gain access to analysis, forecasts and scenarios by leading analysts and reporters who monitor democratic risks and develop policy debate from Central Europe on Central Europe.

MonthlyVAT included

€4/month

See all details

  • Full access to articles and reports
  • Monthly foresights and risk analysis delivered by e-mail
  • Weekly newsletter with most important highlights
  • Visegrad Insight social media community groups invitation

AnnualVAT included

€40/year

See all details

  • All monthly features PLUS…
  • Free invitation to one editorial board discussion to participate in deciding on the future direction of the Visegrad Insight
  • Free delivery of two select hardcopies of Visegrad Insight reports

Student OR Donation

Choose your contribution

See all details

  • Full access to articles and reports
  • Monthly foresights, weekly newsletters, and risk analysis delivered by e-mail
  • Free invitation to one editorial board discussion to participate in deciding on the future direction of the Visegrad Insight (annual subscription only)

Can I receive an invoice?

Yes. You will receive a receipt immediately after purchase and a VAT invoice upon request. The subscription amount includes tax. In case of a donation, there is no tax.

Are my credit card details safe?

Yes. The payment is processed by STRIPE www.stripe.com entrusted also by Amazon, Zoom, Booking.com and used by other global NGOs and businesses in the world. We do not store your credit card details.

How modify or cancel my subscription?

At any moment you can manage your subscription and account details. Sign in to modify or cancel.

Matej Kandrík

Marcin Król Fellow

Matej Kandrík is a Marcin Król Fellow 2022/2023 and a cofounder of Adapt Institute and a PhD candidate in Political Science with a specialisation in Security and Strategic Studies at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia. In 2016 he did a research stay at the National Defence University of Poland. He collaborated as a research fellow with the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the International Republican Institute as a Transatlantic Initiative fellow. Currently, he is participating in CEU Democratic Institute Leadership Academy. His research interests include comprehensive defence, paramilitarism in Central Eastern Europe and strategic communication.

Newsletter

Weekly updates with our latest articles and the editorial commentary.