FOUO Session 1: "Analyzing Russian IO Warfare Strategy"
(Room Estes A)
09 Aug 17
11:00 AM
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12:00 PM
The current Kremlin leadership is not satisfied with the post-Cold War settlement, whereby Russia has been relegated to the status of a “regional power,” confined within borders which do not correspond to its perceived national interests. In what has become the generally accepted Russian narrative, after the collapse of the USSR, the West/NATO (the US in particular) took advantage of Russia’s military weakness, encroaching upon the country’s legitimate sphere of interest. To prevent any further intrusion, and perhaps even to restore previously lost territory, the Kremlin has undertaken an ambitious program to strengthen various aspects of national power. One key facet of this restoration revolves around the issue of “information.” Over the past decade, the Kremlin leadership has developed a highly effective system of getting its message across to both a domestic and international audience. Using unclassified sources, this session will briefly describe Russia’s current IO strategy, particularly with regard to military operations, and review possible implications stemming from this strategy.