What we see here is a part of Putin’s particular insight into modern conflict between nations. It is his “contribution,” if we can call it that, to the art of war. He is a practitioner of “hybrid warfare,” a doctrine that Wikipedia defines as:
Hybrid warfare is a mix (of) military strategy and political warfare that blends conventional warfare, irregular warfare and cyberwarfare with other influencing methods, such as fake news, diplomacy and foreign electoral intervention. By combining kinetic operations with subversive efforts, the aggressor intends to avoid attribution or retribution. (Emphasis added)To this point, Putin appears to have successfully avoided retribution, if not attribution. Whether further anti-Russian sanctions will be put in place is unknown but distinctly possible. Such behavior needs to be experienced by its initiator as having negative consequences.
Perhaps we need to develop a similar capability for use against states whose interests are inimical to our own.
