Gerasimov doctrine

A Western label for an alleged Russian strategy combining military and nonmilitary means in conflict, attributed to Valery Gerasimov but disputed as a formal doctrine.

Valery Gerasimov: A Russian general who became chief of the General Staff in 2012 and wrote on changing forms of warfare. His 2013 article was later treated in the West as the doctrine’s blueprint.
Information warfare: The use of information and communication systems to influence, disrupt, or gain advantage over an adversary. Influence operations are among the nonmilitary tools commonly associated with the alleged strategy.
Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation: Russia’s 2014 seizure and incorporation of Crimea, previously part of Ukraine. The operation’s mix of covert troops, political measures, and information activity shaped Western interpretations.
Western military analysis of Russia: Research and assessment of Russian military capabilities, strategy, and operations by Western governments and scholars. The label influenced how analysts organized discussion of Russia’s nonmilitary and military activity.
Gerasimov's 2013 article: A Russian-language essay by Valery Gerasimov on forecasting and the changing character of warfare. The article’s discussion of nonmilitary and military measures supplied the label’s main source.
Cyberwarfare: Hostile activity in or through computer networks intended to disrupt, damage, or influence an adversary. Cyber operations are often presented as one means of exerting pressure below open armed conflict.
Russo-Ukrainian War: The armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine that began in 2014 and escalated into a full-scale invasion in 2022. Events in Ukraine have repeatedly been cited in debates about Russian hybrid methods.
NATO: A political and military alliance of European and North American countries founded in 1949. Alliance discussions of Russian hybrid threats drew on interpretations associated with the label.
Mark Galeotti: A British scholar of Russian security who popularized the phrase “Gerasimov doctrine” in Western commentary. His later account helped establish the phrase that Gerasimov himself never named.
Disinformation: Deliberately false or misleading information spread to deceive or manipulate its audience. It exemplifies the informational activity often included in Western descriptions of the approach.

Linked from 2 pages