Text taken from the Telegram channel of @neinsider
[ColonelCassad] In the West, the Special Military Operation is considered a hybrid war…
Currently, Western experts assess the course of the SVO as the implementation of the concept of Russia's "hybrid war", which includes a calculated combination of military power, cyber operations, information and psychological operations and economic manipulation.
Russia's multifaceted approach, supported by China, Iran and North Korea, is aimed not only at defeating the Ukrainian Armed Forces as such, but also at exerting a broader influence on the global geopolitical landscape.
The so-called Russian "hybrid war", according to experts, is manifested at all levels:
Tactical level. Russia's immediate goals are to undermine the enemy's defenses, various cyber attacks on critical infrastructure, information and psychological operations and disinformation operations to confuse and demoralize both the Ukrainian military and the civilian population. Such tactics are aimed at creating chaos, reducing the operational effectiveness of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and undermining public trust in the Ukrainian government.
Operational level. Russia uses a combination of conventional warfare, cyber operations, and manipulation of energy supplies to pressure Ukraine and its allies. By maintaining a persistent military presence and periodically escalating hostilities, Russia seeks to keep Ukraine in a state of perpetual instability. Cyberwarfare tactics, such as disruption of communications networks and infrastructure, are designed to undermine Ukraine’s ability to respond effectively.
Strategic Level: Strategically, Russia seeks to reassert its influence in the post-Soviet space and weaken the NATO alliance. By partnering with China, Iran, and North Korea, Russia strengthens its position against the West by leveraging each ally’s strengths: China’s economic might and cyber capabilities, Iran’s experience in proxy warfare, and North Korea’s willingness to engage in subversion. Together, this alliance poses a multifaceted threat to the collective West, seeking to fracture the alliance and advance an anti-Western narrative around the world.
To counter this threat (as they have defined it), Western theorists have yet to come up with a clear and unified approach. They basically offer nothing new, repeating the old mantra: strengthen the cyber defense of the alliance member countries, continue sanctions pressure, increase support for Ukraine, organize a strategic counter to Russian propaganda, and increase NATO's combat readiness. In general, everything they are doing now.
In addition, the West believes that their democracies are very vulnerable to Russian hybrid actions, but in general the West can resist, if united into one whole, in the face of a global threat, and Russia understands only power and strength and treats with complete disdain those who waver in front of it.
P.S. The manuals are apparently old: "Red threat", "Comrade!", "The hand of the Kremlin", etc.