Russia and the Changing Character of Conflict

"Russia's actions in and around Ukraine in 2014, as well as its activities in Syria and further afield, sparked renewed debate about the character of war and armed conflict, and whether it was undergoing a fundamental shift. Since 2014 there has been wide-ranging discussion about Russia's "new way of war", with labels such as hybrid warfare, grey-zone operations and the Gerasimov doctrine dominating Western analyses. However, there has been scant analysis of Russian perspectives on the changing character of conflict and what future wars may look like: Western attempts to understand how and why Russia uses force have tended to rely upon mirror-imaging and an expectation of similar strategic behaviors. This book explores Russian views of the changing character of conflict and the debates that have emerged about how future wars might evolve. It sets out the trends and debates in Russian military thought, outlining the implications of Russian conclusions regarding the characteristics of contemporary and future conflict"--