Russia’s Hybrid War Goes Underwater

In the war Russia wages against Ukraine, we primarily see kinetic forms of warfare. These are the tangible horrors of bombs, missiles, and rockets exploding against civilian centers, ordinance dropped by drones onto military vehicles from above, and sometimes the terrible trench warfare that persists on the frontlines.

There are also nonkinetic forms of warfare, which aren’t as visible. They may include nonconventional, gray zone, or hybrid types of warfare. These can utilize a wide array of tools, from diplomacy, covert operations, and economic sanctions to information warfare, psychological operations, and cyberattacks. Their purpose is to disrupt, confuse, or coerce without direct military engagement. Think also of the Russian “creeping occupation” of the Republic of Georgia, and Russia’s orchestration (together with Belarus) of the use of illegal migrants to cross national borders, particularly of frontline states. Other tactics against the Baltics and other European countries are of increasing concern, such as attacks against military and infrastructure targets.