IDENTITY AND PROPAGANDA IN RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN HYBRID WARFARE

Abstract

Western media and experts refer to the violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine, and the armed conflict in the Donbas region as: the “Ukrainian crisis”. The term “hybrid warfare”, however, serves as a better designation for the series of actions conducted by Russia against Ukraine, as it provides a more comprehensive understanding of the causes, orientation and nature of these events. “Hybrid warfare” is a military strategy that combines conventional war, cyber war, and small war tactics. Some of the fundamental components of “hybrid warfare” include information dissemination, psychological actions, and cyber attacks aimed at both the physical and technological infrastructure of a state and its citizens1.