As part of the war on Ukraine, the Russians are employing various moves based on the comprehensive concept of "hybrid warfare." This model combines classic efforts with the use of "softer" force, which aims to achieve military and political goals without the use of brute military power.
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Russian intelligence, for example, operates agents on Ukrainian soil, whose job it is to stir unrest among the pro-Russian population and to prompt guerrilla operations against the Ukrainian army. This campaign is now joined by Chechen death squads, seeking to hunt down and assassinate Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
At the same time, a comprehensive psychological warfare campaign is in play in the shape of online influencers. This is designed to spread fear and terror among the local population, pressure the Ukrainian leadership, encourage pro-Russian separatists to take action, and even threaten the US and NATO.
Russian psychological warfare uses every outlet at its disposal via mainstream and social media.
But the most prominent component in Russia's hybrid warfare is cyber warfare. Similar to the 2014 campaign, Russia is currently employing a large array of cyberattacks, partly based on intelligence capabilities and partly on pro-Russian hacker groups, which have very advanced offensive capabilities.
These hackers have been carrying out cyberattacks throughout Europe, the United States, and even in Israel for many years.
The aim now is to target Ukraine's critical infrastructures, including power, water, hospitals, banks, railways, communications networks and other national infrastructures. Crippling national infrastructure aids the Russian military in disrupting the Ukrainian military's defenses, disrupting command and control systems, preventing civilians from having access to essential services, and wreaking havoc overall.
For example, in the first Russian cyberattack on Jan. 14, some 70 Ukrainian government websites and vital organizations were downed, including the Defense and Education ministries. The Russian hackers made no effort to disguise themselves, leaving a message reading, "Ukrainians – all the information about you is now public. You must be afraid and expect the worst!"
Russian cyber warfare also targets NATO members, the European Union and the US, where signs of hacks against government websites, banks, trains etc. are becoming clearer.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg takes the threat seriously and over the weekend he warned that cyberattacks on a member of the transatlantic alliance "can trigger Article 5" of its charter, by which "an attack on one is an attack on all," thus allowing NATO to mount an armed response against the aggressor.
In light of the statement of support for Ukraine, Israel's National Cyber Directorate, government ministries, the police and other security bodies should immediately increase their vigilance and monitoring of vital systems, to prevent damage to critical national infrastructure should Russia decides to respond to Foreign Ministry's rebuke.
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