Of course, most adults understand what the word “war” means; there is no need to explain anything. However, quite recently, a new synthesized term “hybrid war” has appeared by ear, the predicate (determinant) of which significantly rethinks the usual concept of war. The concept of the integrity of this concept is a subject for reflection by military leaders, political scientists, and analysts.
Let's look at what a hybrid war is, how this phrase appeared, what is the meaning and content of it and what is its relevance. We use common sense, world experience and thoughts of respected figures of Russian science.
Hybrid warfare concept
As you know, the military strategy includes the following types of wars: small wars, conventional wars, regional wars. But all these varieties relate to phenomena when the armed forces of one side confront the armed forces of the second side.
In such wars, biological, nuclear, chemical and various non-traditional types of weapons are used, but, as a rule, in classic military clashes, standard weapons are used or, as they call it in the West, “lethal weapons”, which are primarily intended for death soldiers and the extermination of the country's military forces.
There is also the term "symmetrical war", a phenomenon meaning a war of armed forces conducting an aggressive policy with various potential opponents, which subsequently become real. A good example is the Afghan war waged by the Soviet Union, and the Afghan war still taking place in the country.
We can conclude, considering the concept of hybrid warfare, that it is a kind of warfare that combines an extensive range of influences produced by the adversary using both military and irregular formations, in which civilian components also take part. In the writings of military experts, the term “war of controlled chaos” is close to this.
The term “hybrid threats” is also widely used today, which defines threats emanating from an adversary who is able to use traditional and non-traditional tools at the same time for the purposes necessary to achieve.
Hybrid warfare: what is it?
The traditional understanding of what a classical war is, formed in our civic consciousness by upbringing and education, which always had a patriotic and historical orientation. We present the war as a process of confrontation between two parties located on opposite sides of the front. The enemy invades our land, we win it back and continue to live on.
However, new types of war as an armed confrontation of countries are currently appearing and being implemented. What does hybrid warfare mean? This confrontation, which arose as a result of technological development, the technological growth of the level of defensive tools, offensive weapons, in other words, technology of confrontation.
At the same time, the very goals for defeat change significantly. They are no longer the loss of life of soldiers and the destruction of material objects. Here, the most important goals are to influence the mass consciousness of society, the expert judgments of those responsible for making important state decisions, including congressmen, ministers, deputies, presidents, when they are inspired by certain theories, and instilled value positions that motivate them to perform certain actions. Such confrontation is also state.
What does hybrid war mean? This means that armed confrontation also arises, just as a weapon, in addition to traditional, special technologies, information, technical and global network devices also act.
The source of the concept
We know that the word “hybrid” means some newly produced product that arises as a result of crossbreeding of different types of a given product. Thus, a hybrid war may not have the obvious features of an armed conflict, but still it is nothing more than a war.
Initially, the term "hybrid form", "hybrid" was used in relation to political organizations. That is, it was meant that organizations are not political, and are responsible for the implementation of political functions.
For example, in the literature there is a link to organized groups of fans of the Milan football club, founded by Berlusconi. On the one hand, they represented only the interests of Milan fans, on the other, they actively supported the political activities of Berlusconi and were a powerful force for solving his political tasks.
It should be noted that in the USSR there was a similar format of the organization formed during the perestroika period, representing itself at the beginning of its activity as an opposition environmental movement. At first glance, it was aimed at maintaining and protecting the environment, but over time it showed its political background, aimed at destabilizing the social situation in the country.
It is difficult to determine when the first hybrid war occurred, and in general, whether a similar fact existed earlier in history. One thing is clear that a certain circle of people is profitable to use this formulation in modern life.
Interpretation may vary
The spread and frequent use of the concept of "hybrid war" is a very natural phenomenon. It is important to note that initially, when this term was just beginning to enter into circulation, it was absolutely not applied to Russia, and its content seemed completely different. Then, using this concept, they meant that it means combining classical war with elements of terrorism, partisan and cyber war, that is, completely different components. In particular, they referred to Hezbollah’s activities carried out during the Lebanon war and other regional conflicts. She did not actively participate in the war, but used rebels, partisans, and so on.
If you look into the distant past, you can find many historical examples that describe such phenomena, for example, the so-called "Scythian war". Therefore, one should not attribute the phenomenon of hybrid war to the category of fundamentally new in nature and course. However, its current interpretation is significantly different from the previous one.
A new understanding of the question of what is a hybrid war was born of stakeholders in relation to Russia in connection with the events of 2014 that occurred in Ukraine. Several articles appeared in the press that Russia conducts hybrid wars around the world. Turning to the information published by the Russia Today agency, one can find that our country appears to be a global aggressor to society, using propaganda, cyber receptions, and much more, becoming a planetary threat to preserve the world order. In this “magical” way, all military events taking place in the world can be signed under the hybrid wars of Russia, which will make it a convenient and justified target for all ill-wishers.
Look west
So, let's look at the frame of reference regarding hybrid wars abroad. It is no secret that there are official instructions describing the strategies and actions of the military command in situations like hybrid warfare. For example, the “white book” of the commanders of special operations of the ground forces of the United States of America, which is freely available to users of the “global network”, called “Countering an unconventional war”. It contains a separate concept with the symbolic name “Win in a complex world”.
In it, from this perspective, a hybrid war is considered that it is a war in which real military steps imply primarily implicit, covert, but typical military operations, in the course of which the enemy side attacks the regular army and (or) government structures of the enemy. The attack comes at the expense of separatists and local rebels, which are supported by finances and weapons from abroad and certain internal structures: organized crime, pseudo-religious and nationalist organizations, oligarchs.
The same documents of America and NATO contain an indication that the armed forces of friendly countries play a fundamental role in successfully combating hybrid wars, which should be united under the auspices of the United States at the middle and final stages of such wars along with the unification of their intelligence and governments. All this should happen within the framework of a “comprehensive intergovernmental, interagency and international strategy”.
Realization in reality
Studying the military doctrines of the United States, we can conclude that when hybrid wars arise, other states are simultaneously connected to the conflict between the two countries. Their actions consist of "providing comprehensive assistance to the rebels in the recruitment of supporters, their rear and operational support, training, influencing the social sphere and economy, coordinating diplomatic actions and conducting some military operations." It is easy to notice that all these events, without any exception, occur today in Ukraine under the undisguised leadership of the United States. At the same time, it is customary to make a reference that this is Putin's hybrid war against the sovereignty of Ukraine.
Thus, we can conclude that the West is well aware of the scheme of fomenting hybrid wars, and this term itself came to us from there. The first tests were carried out in Syria, Iraq and Ukraine. Now the political statements of the West attribute to Russia a hybrid war with Ukraine. They cite a lot of their own objective arguments that fit their definition of what a hybrid war is. Note that America already showed similar behavior to the world 30 years ago, when the contingent of the Soviet Union was in Afghanistan. The milder and intermediate form of hybrid wars is the so-called “color” revolutions that are already well known to the world.
The essence of what is happening
From the foregoing, it can be understood that the emergence of the phrase “hybrid war” has a sufficient background in improving methods and varieties of confrontation between states. This concept reflects the realities of the use of instruments of struggle and the latest achievements in the field of rivalry between countries.
To clearly understand what a hybrid war is, let us give this term the following definition. This is a type of military confrontation of individual states, which involves, in addition to or instead of the regular army, special missions and special services, partisan and mercenary forces, terrorist attacks, and riots. Moreover, the main goal most often is not the occupation and seizure of territory, but a change in the political regime or the foundations of state policy in the country under attack.
The meaning of the final part of the definition is that the traditional goals of the war, such as the capture of material assets, natural resources, territories, treasuries, gold and so on, have not sunk into oblivion. The aggressive, aggressive, armed struggle simply took on a different shape, and its goals are now achieved differently. The tactics of hybrid warfare lead to bringing the political regime of the attacked state to a state of a sovereign, puppet, easily controlled aggressively attacking country, and then all decisions will be made in its favor.
Cold war with the USSR
We all know how the cold war took place between the USSR and the USA with its allies. And we all must understand, although this is rarely said aloud, that in this war there is a winner and a vanquished. Sadly, our country turned out to be just the vanquished side. The USSR is divided, Russia pumps various types of resources abroad, to the so-called victorious countries. The coefficient of consumption of these countries or, to be precise, global parasitic countries, is much more than unity. Such states make a minimal contribution to the world balance, producing almost nothing, and consuming much more goods and resources.
It is easy to see that Russia's position in the world balance leaves much to be desired. The consumer coefficient in our state is much less than unity. In other words, we produce and deliver many times more products to the benefit of the world community than we consume in Russia itself.
The Cold War also has a concept of hybrid warfare. Its outcome demonstrated that the conduct of a "hot" war is not at all necessary to achieve the goals that, for example, were set by Adolf Hitler. He never managed to achieve his goal, unlike the West. Thus, there is definitely a clear similarity between classic warfare, the Cold War, and hybrid warfare. The common goal of all these interstate conflicts is to seize the benefits of the adversary country, defeat it and make it manageable.
What are we observing today?
Currently, everything that happens for many years of Russian history is happening. If you rephrase Russian classicist Aksakov I.S., then we can say that if the question of power lust and Russia's desire to start a war is raised, then you need to understand: some of the Western or Western European countries is preparing to unscrupulously seize someone else's land.
Today it is obvious that the term “hybrid war” is used against our country. It is also obvious that this term was introduced and is surrounded by general attention in order to expose Russia as an aggressor, fomenting war. However, under the cover of all this “political fog”, completely similar actions are taking place on the part of Western countries. It may seem that neither the Americans nor the British are participating in the war, but military instructors, various "private" armies, etc. are constantly present in Ukraine. They do not seem to be at war, but they are directly involved in the war.
Against the background of current events, it becomes relevant to say that the Western states have planned and are entering their initial stage a hybrid war against Russia. There is comprehensive pressure on our state, implicit involvement in an international conflict, aggressive targeted impact on the economic and social balance.
