Russian 'Hybrid Warfare' and the Annexation of Crimea
Russian 'Hybrid Warfare' and the Annexation of Crimea

Author: Kent DeBenedictis

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2021-11-04

Total Pages: 281

ISBN-13: 0755640004

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Western academics, politicians, and military leaders alike have labelled Russia's actions in Crimea and its follow-on operations in Eastern Ukraine as a new form of “Hybrid Warfare.” In this book, Kent DeBenedictis argues that, despite these claims, the 2014 Crimean operation is more accurately to be seen as the Russian Federation's modern application of historic Soviet political warfare practices-the overt and covert informational, political, and military tools used to influence the actions of foreign governments and foreign populations. DeBenedictis links the use of Soviet practices, such as the use of propaganda, disinformation, front organizations, and forged political processes, in the Crimea in 2014 to the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 (the “Prague Spring”) and the earliest stages of the invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Through an in-depth case study analysis of these conflicts, featuring original interviews, government documents and Russian and Ukrainian sources, this book demonstrates that the operation, which inspired discussions about Russian “Hybrid Warfare,” is in fact the modern adaptation of Soviet political warfare tools and not the invention of a new type of warfare.

Beyond Crimea
Beyond Crimea

Author: Agnia Grigas

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2016-02-16

Total Pages: 347

ISBN-13: 0300220766

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How will Russia redraw post-Soviet borders? In the wake of recent Russian expansionism, political risk expert Agnia Grigas illustrates how—for more than two decades—Moscow has consistently used its compatriots in bordering nations for its territorial ambitions. Demonstrating how this policy has been implemented in Ukraine and Georgia, Grigas provides cutting-edge analysis of the nature of Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy and compatriot protection to warn that Moldova, Kazakhstan, the Baltic States, and others are also at risk.

Russian "Hybrid Warfare"
Russian

Author: Ofer Fridman

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2018-08-01

Total Pages: 251

ISBN-13: 0190934735

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During the last decade, 'Hybrid Warfare' has become a novel yet controversial term in academic, political and professional military lexicons, intended to suggest some sort of mix between different military and non-military means and methods of confrontation. Enthusiastic discussion of the notion has been undermined by conceptual vagueness and political manipulation, particularly since the onset of the Ukrainian Crisis in early 2014, as ideas about Hybrid Warfare engulf Russia and the West, especially in the media. Western defense and political specialists analyzing Russian responses to the crisis have been quick to confirm that Hybrid Warfare is the Kremlin's main strategy in the twenty-first century. But many respected Russian strategists and political observers contend that it is the West that has been waging Hybrid War, Gibridnaya Voyna, since the end of the Cold War. In this highly topical book, Ofer Fridman offers a clear delineation of the conceptual debates about Hybrid Warfare. What leads Russian experts to say that the West is conducting a Gibridnaya Voyna against Russia, and what do they mean by it? Why do Western observers claim that the Kremlin engages in Hybrid Warfare? And, beyond terminology, is this something genuinely new?

Russia's Military Revival
Russia's Military Revival

Author: Bettina Renz

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2018-04-27

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 1509516182

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Russian annexation of Crimea and the subsequent air campaign over Syria took the world by surprise. The capabilities and efficiency of Moscow’s armed forces during both operations signalled to the world that Russia was back in business as a significant military actor on the international stage. In this cutting-edge study, Bettina Renz provides an in-depth and comprehensive analysis of Russia’s military revival under Putin’s leadership. Whilst the West must adjust to the reality of a modernised and increasingly powerful Russian military, she argues that the renaissance of Russian military might and its implications for the balance of global power can only be fully understood within a wider historical context. Assessing developments in Russian Great Power thinking, military capabilities, Russian strategic thought and views on the use of force throughout the post-Soviet era, the book shows that, rather than signifying a sudden Russian military resurgence, recent developments are consistent with longstanding trends in Russian military strategy and foreign policy.

The New Politics of Russia
The New Politics of Russia

Author: Andrew Monaghan

Publisher:

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 161

ISBN-13: 9781784994044

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Whether it is the conflict in Syria, the Winter Olympics in Sochi or the crisis in Ukraine, Russia dominates the headlines. Yet the political realities of contemporary Russia are poorly understood by Western observers and policy-makers. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, dominantpolitical narratives have focused on the theme of historical progress towards democracy, and more recently, on the increasing turn towards authoritarianism, and the major obstacle posed by President Vladimir Putin to Russia's development and reform.In this highly engaging book, Andrew Monaghan explains the importance of "getting Russia right". This book reflects on the evolution of Russia studies since the end of the Cold War, offering a robust critique of the mainstream view of Russia. It goes on to place the Ukraine crisis within a broaderhistorical framework and considers the ongoing evolution in Russian domestic politics. By delving into the depths of these difficult questions, the work offers a more dynamic and complex model for interpreting Russia.Exploring in detail the relationship between the West and Russia, the book charts the development of relations and investigates causes of the increasingly obvious sense of strategic dissonance. Monaghan examines the election year 2011-12, contextualizing the protest demonstrations and addressing theresponses of the authorities, and introduces the reader to the evolving Russian body politic: both present influential figures and those who are forming the leadership and opposition of the future.This book makes a significant contribution to public policy and academic debate and is a essential reading for students and scholars of Russian politics.

Complex Battlespaces
Complex Battlespaces

Author: Christopher M. Ford

Publisher: Paperbackshop UK Import

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 553

ISBN-13: 0190915366

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The conduct of warfare is constantly shaped by new forces that create complexities in the battlespace for military operations. This inaugural volume of the Lieber Studies Series seeks to address several issues in the confluence of law and armed conflict, featuring chapters from world class scholars, policymakers and other government officials; military and civilian legal practitioners; and other thought leaders who examine the role of the law of armed conflict in current and future armed conflicts around the world.

The Russian Understanding of War
The Russian Understanding of War

Author: Oscar Jonsson

Publisher: Georgetown University Press

Published: 2019-11-01

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13: 1626167346

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This book analyzes the evolution of Russian military thought and how Russia's current thinking about war is reflected in recent crises. While other books describe current Russian practice, Oscar Jonsson provides the long view to show how Russian military strategic thinking has developed from the Bolshevik Revolution to the present. He closely examines Russian primary sources including security doctrines and the writings and statements of Russian military theorists and political elites. What Jonsson reveals is that Russia's conception of the very nature of war is now changing, as Russian elites see information warfare and political subversion as the most important ways to conduct contemporary war. Since information warfare and political subversion are below the traditional threshold of armed violence, this has blurred the boundaries between war and peace. Jonsson also finds that Russian leaders have, particularly since 2011/12, considered themselves to be at war with the United States and its allies, albeit with non-violent means. This book provides much needed context and analysis to be able to understand recent Russian interventions in Crimea and eastern Ukraine, how to deter Russia on the eastern borders of NATO, and how the West must also learn to avoid inadvertent escalation.

Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine
Lessons from Russia's Operations in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine

Author: Michael Kofman

Publisher: Rand Corporation

Published: 2017-04-18

Total Pages: 128

ISBN-13: 0833096060

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This report assesses the annexation of Crimea by Russia (February–March 2014) and the early phases of political mobilization and combat operations in Eastern Ukraine (late February–late May 2014). It examines Russia’s approach, draws inferences from Moscow’s intentions, and evaluates the likelihood of such methods being used again elsewhere.

Russia's Military Strategy and Doctrine
Russia's Military Strategy and Doctrine

Author: Glen E. Howard

Publisher:

Published: 2019-04-09

Total Pages: 400

ISBN-13: 9780998666013

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Russia's Military Strategy and Doctrine is designed to educate Russia watchers, policymakers, military leaders, and the broader foreign policy community about the Russian Armed Forces and security apparatus across the full spectrum of geographic, doctrinal and domain areas. Each chapter addresses a different strategic-level issue related to the Russian military, ranging from naval and maritime doctrine, to the role nuclear weapons play in its strategy, to cyber and electromagnetic warfare, to Moscow's posture in the Arctic or the Black Sea, to the lessons its Armed Forces have learned from their ongoing operations in Syria and eastern Ukraine. And each section of the book is written by one of the world's foremost experts on that theme of Russia's military development. The key questions emphasized by this book include "how Russia fights wars" and "how its experiences with modern conflicts are shaping the evolution of Russia's military strategy, capabilities and doctrine." The book's value comes not only from a piecemeal look at granular Russian strategies in each of the theaters and domains where its Armed Forces may act, but more importantly this study seeks to present a unifying description of Russia's military strategy as a declining but still formidable global power. Russia's Military Strategy and Doctrine will be an essential reference for US national security thinkers, NATO defense planners and policymakers the world over who must deal with the potential military and security challenges posed by Moscow.