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Contemporary Russian revisionism: understanding the Kremlin’s hybrid warfare and the strategic and tactical deployment of disinformation

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Abstract

In this policy brief, after an account of the historical-political context of Russia’s recent aggressive actions, I examine the objectives, strategy, and tactics of Russia’s information warfare, particularly as concerns eastern Europe and Syria, although also against selected western European states and the USA. Of special interest is the notion that Russia’s disinformation is potent because it does not necessarily establish falsehoods as true, but rather pollutes political discourse such that news information consumers are led to doubt the very concepts of truth and objective political facts. I conclude by (a) discussing the impact this strategy has had—and will continue to have—on Europe’s domestic politics, as well as on the global liberal order, and then (b) broaching policy ideas for countering Russian disinformation.

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Notes

  1. See, for example: Sven Biscop, “The EU Global Strategy: Realpolitik with European Characteristics,” Egmont Institute—Security Policy Brief 75 (June 2016). (http://www.egmontinstitute.be/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/SPB75.pdf)

  2. Jon White, “Dismiss, Distort, Distract, and Dismay: Continuity and Change in Russian Disinformation,” Institute for European Studies—Policy Brief 13 (May 2016). (http://www.ies.be/policy-brief/dismiss-distort-distract-and-dismay-continuity-and-change-russian-disinformation)

  3. Shaun Walker, “Putin admits Russian military presence in Ukraine for first time,” The Guardian (12/17/2015). (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/17/vladimir-putin-admits-russian-military-presence-ukraine)

  4. Aljazeera, “Russia, Turkey: US supporting Syria ‘terrorist’ groups,” Aljazeera (12/28/2016). (http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/russia-turkey-syria-161228050019245.html)

  5. Sydney Morning Herald, “MH17 propaganda: Russia fed conspiracy theories about crash,” Sydney Morning Herald (7/23/2013). (http://www.smh.com.au/world/mh17-propaganda-russians-fed-conspiracy-theories-about-crash-20140722-zvw9d.html)

  6. Adrian Blomfield, “Russia threatens new confrontation over Georgian provinces,” The Telegraph (8/20/2008). (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/2591725/Russia-threatens-new-confrontation-over-Georgian-provinces.html)

  7. European People’s Party, “Russian disinformation undermining western democracy,” EPP Congress 2017 (March 2017). (https://www.epp.eu/files/uploads/2017/04/6-EPP-Resolution-1.pdf); Andrew Byrne, “Montengro counts cost of becoming NATO’s newest member,” Financial Times (6/2/2017). (https://www.ft.com/content/094beb6e-46b8-11e7-8d27-59b4dd6296b8?mhq5j=e1)

  8. Mary Elise Sarotte, “A Broken Promise?: What the West Really Told Moscow About NATO Expansion,” Foreign Affairs (September/October 2014). (https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/russia-fsu/2014-08-11/broken-promise)

  9. Kadyrov was assassinated by guerillas in 2004.

  10. Former YUKOS chairman Michael Khodorkovsky became the face of the latter fate.

  11. Schroeder, who later became the board chairman of Nordstream-AG, has publicly supported Moscow on numerous occasions regarding Kosovo recognition, Crimean annexation, and the Russia-Georgia war.

  12. At this time, Russia began to amass large gold and currency reserves, which have helped it withstand international sanctions.

  13. Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty, “International Criminal Probe Blames Missile from Russia for MH-17 Tragedy,” Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty (9/28/2016). (http://www.rferl.org/a/mh17-criminal-probe-russia-buk-ukraine-jit/28018109.html)

  14. Reuters, “OSCE victim of cyber attack,” Reuters (12/28/2016). (http://in.reuters.com/article/osce-cyber-attack-idINKBN14H0Z9)

  15. Adrian Chen, “The Agency,” New York Times (6/2/2015). (https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/07/magazine/the-agency.html)

  16. Andrew Kramer and Andrew Higgins, “In Ukraine, a Malware Expert Who Could Blow the Whistle on Russian Hacking,” New York Times (9/16/2017).

  17. Andrew Higgins, “In Russia’s Frozen Zone: A Creeping Border with Georgia,” New York Times (10/23/2016).

  18. Stratfor, “Ukraine: Russian Passports and Possible Future Intervention,” Stratfor (11/14/2008). (https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/ukraine-russian-passports-and-possible-future-intervention)

  19. New York Times, “Report on Russian Hacking,” New York Times (12/29/2016). (http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/29/us/politics/document-Report-on-Russian-Hacking.html); Barbara Slavin, “Flynn the first casualty in chaotic Trump White House,” Lowy Interpreter (Lowy Institute) (2/20/2017). (https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/flynn-first-casualty-chaotic-trump-white-house)

  20. Fredrik Wesslau, “Putin’s friends in Europe,” European Council on Foreign Relations (10/19/2016). (http://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_putins_friends_in_europe7153)

  21. Laura Smith-Spark, “Syria: Will anyone be prosecuted for war crimes?,” CNN.com (12/16/2016). (http://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/16/middleeast/syria-aleppo-war-crimes-claim/)

  22. Reuters, “Germany sees rise in Russian propaganda, cyber-attacks,” Reuters (12/8/2016). (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-russia-idUSKBN13X15D); Simon Tisdall, “Russian involvement in US vote raises fears for European elections,” The Guardian (12/10/2016). (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/10/russian-involvement-in-us-vote-raises-fears-for-european-elections)

  23. Adam Nossiter et al., “Hackers Came, but the French Were Prepared,” New York Times (5/9/2017). (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/09/world/europe/hackers-came-but-the-french-were-prepared.html)

  24. Dennis Blair et al., “Into the Gray Zone: The Private Sector and Active Defense Against Cyber Threats,” Center for Cyber and Homeland Security (October 2016). (https://cchs.gwu.edu/sites/cchs.gwu.edu/files/downloads/CCHS-ActiveDefenseReportFINAL.pdf)

Funding

This work was supported by the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Research Support Grant of 2017.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of International and Area Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, 270 Imun-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-791, South Korea

    Mason Richey

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Correspondence to Mason Richey.

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Richey, M. Contemporary Russian revisionism: understanding the Kremlin’s hybrid warfare and the strategic and tactical deployment of disinformation. Asia Eur J 16, 101–113 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10308-017-0482-5

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