NATO: Building resiliency and integrity against Russian hybrid warfare threats

Abstract

Hybrid threats are not a new concept. However, the resurgence of an aggressive Russia has led to an increase in dangerous activity and the practice of new techniques. Hybrid threats put NATO in a complicated position as most hybrid attacks fall under the Article 5 threshold. While malevolent actors such as Russia may not risk attacking a member state through conventional means, these subversive tactics can create chaos without initiating an armed retaliation. Employers of hybrid warfare utilize “conventional capabilities, irregular tactics and formations, and terrorist acts including indiscriminate violence, coercion, and criminal activity.”1 Hybrid threats can take many forms, including energy security, state sponsored terrorism, and cyber warfare. This report will not explore all the possibilities of hybrid threats. Instead, we will be focusing on Russia’s cyber capabilities, their use of religion and ethnicity to incite violence, and disinformation campaigns.