Old War, New Strategy: Russian Doctrine of Hybrid Warfare for the Twenty First Century and Its Implementation during the Crisis in Ukraine

Abstract

In February-March 2014, Russian Federation invaded Crimean region of Ukraine not by using any regular war technique, but rather by exploiting Ukraine’s internal powers. This application may denote permanent changes in post-Cold War security environment. Russian tactics require orchestrated use of military and non-military actors and manipulation of internal powers inside the targeted country to achieve a common political objective. This new war technique, commonly referred to as hybrid warfare, is not something NATO has prepared itself for, and hence created concerns for NATO allies, which have similar characteristics as Ukraine. This article will explore general characteristics of hybrid warfare by examining how Russia understands it and how she implemented it in Ukraine.

Keywords

Hybrid Warfare, Russia, Ukraine, Crimea.

Citation

Karabulut, Ali Nedim “Old War, New Strategy: Russian Doctrine of Hybrid Warfare for the Twenty First Century and Its Implementation during the Crisis in Ukraine”, International Relations, Volume 13, Issue 49, 2016, pp. 25-42.

Affiliations

• Ali Nedim KARABULUT, PhD Student, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Bilkent University