The new russia doesnt just deal in the petty disinformation, forgeries, lies, leaks, and cybersabotage usually associated with information warfare. We need to rethink the information war with russia time. Some of the special units have electronic and it warfare capacity and capability for psychological operations. I shall consider it in the light of similar assumptions in the editions of the doctrine from the years 2000 and 2010. Dia reveals new details of russian information warfare report highlights moscows information confrontation plans for future conflict. This chapter examines whether information warfare at the time of writing in 2015 actually reflects the same reality as in the 1990s. The information space opens wide asymmetrical possibilities for reducing the fighting potential of the enemy, gerasimov writes.
Russian information warfare concepts information warfare, according to the original russian government document conceptual views regarding the activities of the armed forces of the russian federation in the information space, is defined as confronting a state in the information space by damaging information systems, processes, and resources. Inside russia information war has grown to represent much more than a mere set of media tricks. President vladimir putin and his associates, like their forebears, have frequently expressed their belief that the conspiracies directed against them are mainly foreign in origin. Implications for deterrence teory strategic studies quarterly fall 2018 75 russias information warfare tools a common development of state actors with fewer defense resources has led to the development of tools that are low cost and high impact lchi. Russia disclosed this week that it has strengthened its information warfare forces amid u. Conclusion 76 1 notes on the text this handbook provides an introductory guide to the russian concept of information warfare, including elements of cyber warfare. This would have provided russia with a greater degree of flexibility in diplomatic maneuvering. The most important elements of the russian definition are. The use or inability to use iw has at times determined the success or failure in a particular operation. Information warfare in the light of russias military. Nov 09, 2019 inside russia information war has grown to represent much more than a mere set of media tricks.
Russia uses information warfare to portray gmos negatively by justin cremer. Russia s efforts in eastern ukraine proved to be a series of improvisations in response to resistance and friction when the initial political warfare effort foundered. Therefore, it is only natural that russia has employed information warfare iw in ukraine. Gorkowski 17 chapter 3the fog of russian information warfare by lionel m. Russias information warfare theory has been developed in opposition to the. Russia s growing confidence in pursuing its objectives will make it even harder for the west to protect itself against russian assertiveness, without the implementation of measures to resist russian information warfare, and without the availability of significant military force to act as an immediate and present deterrent in the frontline. Some western media and politicians agree with part of the arguments raised by russian propaganda, including russia s right to arrange the postsoviet area in line with its interests. Russian information warfare is the subject of theoretical analyses and is arousing multiple interpretations. Russia s radical new strategy for information warfare. Old strategies, new tools how russia built an information warfare strategy for the 21st century and what the west can learn from the ukraine experience working draft the extent of russian meddling in american politics in 2016 shocked political. Sep 09, 2014 it was something of an underestimation. Handbook of russian information warfare nato defense college. Russias information warfare theory has been developed in opposition to the new generation western warfare concepts.
Russia s traditional conception and practice of information warfare iw. In analyzing russian cyber doctrine, one must understand that neither the word cyber nor the term hybrid warfare exist independently in the russian conceptual framework. Dec 09, 2016 photo by purpleslog russian president vladimir putin has signed off on a new information security doctrine pdf for russia. As the saying goes, only fools learn from their mistakes.
Crucially, information warfare can cover a vast range of different activities and processes seeking to steal, plant, interdict, manipulate, distort or destroy information. From the preserve of a few isolated specialists, study of russias use of the information tool has become mainstream. When peters wrote this novel in 1989, he was a young intelligence officer in europe. Russian information warfare in the baltic states resources. Russias radical new strategy for information warfare the. Pdf this handbook provides an introductory guide to the russian concept of information warfare, including elements of cyber warfare.
War by nonmilitary means understanding russian information warfare ulrik franke war by nonmilitary means in the russian view of modern war, information warfare is given a lot of weight. Since 2008, russian has conducted cyber operations and information operations in conjunction with a. Information warfare, for example, appears to be a tool more capably employed by russia, to the detriment of nato. Pdf handbook of russian information warfare keir giles.
In the 18 months since russias seizure of crimea, western understanding of russian information warfare techniques has developed beyond all recognition. From its definition of cyber to its implementation of information warfare for strategic effect, russia views this new domain differently than the u. Russia has been using an advanced form of hybrid warfare in ukraine since early 2014 that relies heavily on an element of information warfare that the russians call reflexive control. Information warfare in russian geopolitical doctrine. It imagines a soviet ground invasion of west germany.
Igor panarin and alexandr dugin are the primary theorists. Russian information warfare informatsionaya voyna is rooted in soviet thinking, dating back to the beginning of the cold war in the form of spetspropaganda special propaganda. Americans became acutely aware of russian information warfare after the 2016 presidential election, but russia s actions are anything but new. Information warfare as a key tool in russias foreign policy. The challenge of russias antiwestern information warfare. Oct 01, 2018 but russia will continue to target the united states at home and abroad until the u. However, an examination of russian strategy, argumentation, and practice in estonia, georgia, and ukraine between 2006 and 2016 demonstrates that the. Jul 20, 2017 russian information warfare in the baltic states resources and aims. Russian information war is not information warfare as. Russia s information warfare is thus a significant challenge to the west, but not a particularly novel or insuperable one. Russia also has interfax, which has stronger ties with western information companies, but it is an independent commercial news agency vartanova andfrolova 2010, boydbarrett 2014. Since russia does not have the military or economic strength. The anatomy of russian information warfare the web site cannot. What are russias strategies for information warfare, and how can the.
This paper is an attempt to consider the question of information warfare in the latest edition december 2014 of russia s military doctrine. The crimean operation perfectly shows the essence of information warfare. The handbooks target audience is nato servicemen and officials who have not previously studied russian principles of warfighting. Russian disinformation campaigns and troll factories have been accused of stirring up distrust, anger and confusion around all of these hotbutton topics.
Its a worldview and an interpretation of history that annuls the values victorious in 1989. Jun 10, 2019 the most important elements of the russian definition are. The more antiquated io doctrine distinguished between information warfare and information operations. Russias information warfare capabilities springerlink. Asymmetric warfare group russian new generation warfare handbook version 1.
Welcome to the kremlin playbook center for strategic and. Selhorst, russias perception warfare, militaire spectator, 185 no. Challenges and implications for the future force by major justin b. Jan 18, 2017 russias radical new strategy for information warfare. This article explores the dynamics of digital disinformation in the conflict between russia and ukraine. Russian information warfare has emerged as a key component of russian strategy. He also writes of using internal opposition to create a permanently operating front through the entire territory of the enemy state. Its russia s new chaos theory of political warfare. Russian information warfare in the baltic states resources and aims a resurgence of fascism, rampant russophobia, the ethnic cleansing of local russian populations, drunk nato soldiers this is how russia portrays and slanders the societies of the baltic states. Since russia perceives the west as a threat, it continues trying to dismantle it. Information operations modern military theory, going back as far as the napoleonic era, divides warfare into three levels.
The russian forces are still involved in syria and continue to improve from their successes and shortfalls. Russian information operations in ukraine do not herald a new era of theoretical or doctrinal advances, although they aim, in part, to create precisely this impression. Friday, october 8, will be a date that historians will note as the day the u. State, media and civil society in the information warfare. This is evident as russian view of modern warfare is based on the idea that the main battlespace is the mind and, as a result, newgeneration wars are to be dominated by information and psychological warfare. Reports about the new doctrine highlight russias broader conception of. Soviet origins of russia s hybrid warfare by maria snegovaya introduction t he kremlin has been implementing a novel strategic approach in ukraine since at least february 2014 that depends heavily on russia s concept of information warfare. Early russian information warfare focused on traditional espionage stealing information from adversaries. Russia views cyber very differently than its western counterparts, from the way russian theorists define cyberwarfare to how the kremlin employs its cyber capabilities. Chapter 2us information operations in largescale combat operations.
Russian information warfare isnt all about subversion. Russia uses information warfare to portray gmos negatively. Russian chief of staff valery gerasimovs model for interstate conflict reflects the growing importance of nonkinetic factors in russian strategy. Russia has buttressed its recently launched military operation in syria with an information campaign that shows its increasingly firm grasp on the power of messaging. This is an unclassified version of the original document. Pdf russian information warfare of 2014 researchgate.
International relations scholars have presented the online debate in terms of information warfarethat is, a number of strategic campaigns to win over local and global public opinion, largely orchestrated by the kremlin and prowestern authorities. Study of recorded history shows that information warfare iw has been employed by opposing nations in some form or the other. Russian intervention in ukraine has featured refined and modernized techniques evolved through observation. In putins mind, the united states attacked first in the information war. The next phase of russian information warfare by keir giles. The russian military has claimed that the effect of information war fare can be compared to nuclear weapons. Russia s annexation of crimea was a decisive use of military force toward political ends. It is derived directly from spetspropaganda special propaganda theory, which was first taught as a separate subject in 1942 at the military institute of foreign languages.
First, it provides an insight into the russian world of ideas regarding information and its power applying the concept of information superiority and how it connects cyber and information warfare. This handbook provides an introductory guide to the russian concept of information warfare, including elements of cyber warfare. Analyzing russian information warfare and influence. Soviet origins of russias hybrid warfare by maria snegovaya introduction t he kremlin has been implementing a novel strategic approach in ukraine since at least february 2014 that depends heavily on russias concept of information warfare. The goal should be to coerce russia to curb its information warfare campaign, punish moscow when these incidents occur, and exploit moscows weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Information warfare is a holistic concept that includes computer network operations, electronic warfare, psychological operations. It is derived directly from spetspropaganda special propaganda theory, which was first taught as a separate subject in 1942 at the military. This h andbook of russian information warfare is an exciting introduction to current and projected russian operations in the information and cyber domains. The paper examines the russian approach to cyber warfare, addressing both its theoretical and its practical underpinnings.
Dia reveals new details of russian information warfare. A onesizefitsall approach to countering offensive actions in cyberspace will, therefore, no longer work. As a whole, the gmo misinformation campaign coming from russia fits the profile of the russian information warfare strategy described in recent military reports, the researchers said. The guide also functions as a source book for further detailed. Russias radical new strategy for information warfare. Some western media and politicians agree with part of the arguments raised by russian propaganda, including russias right to arrange the postsoviet area in line with its interests. What are russias strategies for information warfare, and how. If hostile information warfare is directed against.
Russia ups its information warfare in syria operation. Russian information warfare in the baltic states resources and aims. Russian information warfare theory has a long tradition in russia. In a military publication from 1999, io is defined as actions taken to affect adversary information and information systems while defending ones own information and information systems. One way of understanding russias actions in the information arena and how it views threats and the protection of russian sovereignty is to study officially published doctrines, policy documents, and statements by representatives of the regime. Pdf the belief in the power of information is deeply ingrained in the minds of the russian top leadership, which operates under the premise that. Not all russia watchers agree on the gerasimov doctrines importance. Russia is now strong enough to retaliate, as krutskikh. Moscow likely considers its campaign in eastern ukraine a strategic success but an unsuccessful operation. Jun 27, 2018 this is evident as russian view of modern warfare is based on the idea that the main battlespace is the mind and, as a result, newgeneration wars are to be dominated by information and psychological warfare. Lessons from russias operations in crimea and eastern. This method of warfare is also used as an argument for the need to respond with war to the information war waged against russia. A resurgence of fascism, rampant russophobia, the ethnic cleansing of local russian populations, drunk nato soldiers this is how russia portrays and slanders the societies of the baltic states.
Russias information warfare marine corps university. Winn schwartau, author of information warfare and recognized iw theorist, describes the information age as computers everywhere. Army formations to increase awareness of russian tactics, nearpeer capabilities, and current u. Russian leaders are likely to consider eastern ukraine to be a strategic success but an unsuccessful operation. A number of excellent investigative reports have examined in detail. The next phase of russian information warfare by keir giles download publication file 6.
Rod thornton explains how and why russia has won in crimea by affording subversive information campaigns primacy in its military operations. But russia benefited from favorable circumstances that make this hard to replicate. The implications of facing a combined effort of cyberwarfare and hybrid warfare attacks with traditional subversion and active measures are critically important for all. Moscow has used this technique skillfully to persuade the u. The russian approach evolves, develops, adapts, and just like other. The russian new warfare doctrine has the army worried enough to make a manual about it.
Handbook of russian information warfare cyberistix. Introduction a new type of war has emerged, in which armed warfare has given up its decisive place in the achievement of the military and political objectives of war to another kind of warfare information warfare. The origins of russias current information warfare strategy can be traced at least as far back as the 1990s, when the russian national security council identified the growing need to address information as a commodity in the digital age. For more than a century, russia has relied on disinformation, propaganda and other similar measures to achieve its objectives. The guide also functions as a source book for further detailed research as required. There is much that western nations can do to address the challenge of modern information warfare, but there is little question that russia, by virtue of its long engagement in this arena, currently has the advantage. The belief in the power of information is deeply ingrained in the minds of the russian top leadership, which operates under the premise that public opinion can be effectively influenced in order to reach desired outcomes domestically as well as on. How russia uses cyberwarfare around the globe misha glenny. Pdf handbook of russian information warfare researchgate. While the west is on guard to combat information warfare during hostilities, russia is perpetually mounting an information warfare offensive.
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