Russian Strategic Communication - Endless Information Warfare

Abstract

Strategic communication determines the communicative aspects of national soft power, and it is an integral part of the national security structure of a modern state. Russian military thought makes a substantial deviation from the term „strategic communication“, defining and applying the communicative contents of soft power by the terms „information security“ and „information warfare“. Russian understanding uses these forms of strategic communication in a constant struggle for supremacy and control of all information domains. Thus, Russia declares a permanent state of war in the information sphere. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the Russian scientific and operational approach to the interpretation of strategic communication, the article provides insight into Russia’s basic idea and genesis of information warfare. By reviewing strategic documents and applied organisational forms, the paper contributes to understanding the vital level of strategic communication on the applied aspects of national security of the Russian Federation. The article elaborates application forms of the Russian’s concepts of information security and information warfare, information operations, and psychological operations. Paper offers a case of Russia’s information warfare toward Serbia. Conclusively, Russia is very active in an informative sphere in international relations, which should have in mind in the relations with that power.