Description
The approach of the Russian military to information warfare in the 21st century has been largely described as an example of “hybrid warfare.” While scholars commonly describe it as tactics that encompass troll farms, misinformation, and propaganda, a critical examination reveals that Russian military and strategic thought is interwoven with perceptions of threat emanating from modern communication technologies and their potential use in so-called "hybrid war." Central to this perception is the identification of the 'Other' in Western military forces, whose strategic drive to incorporate ICTs in military operations is discursively constructed as insecurity in the face of “harmful” information that might impact Russian identity. Discourse analysis of an archive comprising Russian strategic documents, speeches by generals, and output of the Russian Academy of Military Science highlights how the perception of threat posed by contemporary communication technologies co-constitutes the need for ontological security within Russian military and strategic circles. The Russian military positions itself as the guardian of Russian security, advocating for the integration of advanced technologies to monitor domestic human behavior and prepare for potential attacks and "subversions" orchestrated by international actors. The findings underscore the intricate relationship between ontological security, hybrid warfare, and the discursive constitution of a safeguarding mission for the Russian military in facing perceived threats to the Russian self.
