Hybrid Warriors: Transforming Czech Security through the 'Russian Hybrid Warfare' Assemblage

Abstract

This article analyses the ascent of 'Russian hybrid warfare' (RHW) as a notion that transformed the understanding of national security in the Czech Republic in the short period of 2014-2016. It argues that the emergence of RHW as a specifically understood prime security threat was the result of contingent and often unruly social interactions across different settings, rather than a linear and centralised response to Russia's actions. To capture this process, the concept of 'assemblage' is introduced and then defined as a temporary constellation of a variety of different actors, both public and private. Building on research interviews and documents produced in the RHW field, the authors then proceed in three steps. First, they chronologically trace the gradual emergence of the Czech RHW assemblage from a variety of different actors-bureaucrats, NGOs, academics, journalists-after Russia's attack on Ukraine in 2014. Second, they unpack the inner workings of the assemblage by identifying the key actors and asking who did the assembling and how. Third, they look at how different actors were able to reinforce and/or transform their identities by being part of the assemblage, with an emphasis on the effects this had for the distinction between the public and the private.

“Putin, You Suck”: Affective Sticking Points in the Czech Narrative on “Russian Hybrid Warfare”

“…This understanding emerged within a wider network of politicians, bureaucrats, journalists, academics, and NGOs (Daniel & Eberle, ), which produced a narrative that presented the post‐2014 situation in dark and dramatic terms. “The West” was the target of “Russian hybrid war” (RHW), which played itself in the Czech context chiefly in the form of spying, corrupting politicians, and (pro‐)Russian propaganda and disinformation campaigns.…”

“…Despite these alternatives, it was the narrative that directly connected suspected pro‐Russian activists and fake news websites with “Russian hybrid warfare” that was most visible in the official discourse and influenced national security policy. For instance, the notion of RHW and its emphasis on covert foreign influence and threats emanating from cyberspace has been incorporated into key national security documents, such as the Security Strategy of 2015 and the National Security Audit of 2016, and it served as the rationale for the creation of new institutions, for example, the Centre against Terrorism and Hybrid Threats (for details, see Daniel & Eberle, ).…”

“…To tackle the novel and insidious tools of hybrid warfare, both increased the resolve of civil society in its struggle against “Russian agents” and a Russian information campaign as well as the strengthening of security agencies as needed (Janda, ; Ministry of the Interior, ). While comprehensive mapping of the private and public actors who subscribed to this narrative can be found elsewhere (Daniel & Eberle, ; Rychnovská & Kohút, ), in this article we focus rather on the narrative's public articulation. Specifically, we concentrate on two of its major proponents—Jakub Janda and Ondřej Kundra.…”

“…Jakub Janda served from 2013 until 2018 as the Deputy Director of the European Values, a center‐right think tank, which established itself as one of the most publicly visible institutions working on the RHW agenda (a story described in Janda, as well as Daniel & Eberle, ). Janda also became the head of the Kremlin Watch program, a specialized “task‐force” of European Values analysts specifically dedicated to tackling Russian hybrid operations (European Values, ).…”

PARADOX OF HYBRID WAR: On Causes and Implications of Pragmatism in the Debate

“…Například v českém prostředí tak je hybridní válka používána jako atraktivnější synonymum pro informační válku nebo jako mobilizační slogan pro čelení putinovskému Rusku. 22 Druhým pragmatismem je pak neochota autorů jít proti již zavedené terminologii a tím potenciálně omezit dosah svých děl. Andas Rácz ve své publikaci sám uznává, že pojem hybridní války měl před jeho přijetím jako popisu pro Ruské operace na Krymu jiný význam, nicméně dochází k tomu, že se jedná o nejběžněji užívaný pojem, a tedy u něj setrvá 23 .…”