ABSTRACT
The deteriorating security environment in Europe due to the increasing conflict of interests between western democracies and Russia is now, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, obvious to all. But the willingness of the Russian state to oppose and disrupt European security order and the sovereignty of other states is not new. One increasingly common way is using influence operations, often in combination with intelligence- and cyber capabilities; a pattern illustrated by the 2007 bronze soldier event in Estonia, the Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008, and 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula. This chapter examines the historical origins of Russian influence operations against the West, how these have shaped Russian perspectives on their use, and the methodological components they employ to attain their aims in the information environment. It also discusses a number of focus areas relevant for democracies when working to improve societal resilience and counter influence capability.
