MENTAL WARFARE BY THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AGAINST UKRAINE

Abstract

The article presents a thorough analysis of the transformation of modern military con- frontation under the influence of the concept of network-centric warfare and the evolution of forms of informational influence. The author convincingly demonstrates that the key method of non-military dominance in hybrid warfare is information confrontation, which combines both technologies for creating virtual reality and tools of mass psychological influence. The author focuses particular attention on mental warfare–a novel form of conflict aimed not merely at the destruction of the adversary’s material potential, but primarily at exploiting the vulnerability of public consciousness and psyche, as well as the nation’s will to resist. This thesis gains particular relevance in light of the full-scale armed aggression by the Russian Federation, within which the intensity and scope of information and psychological pressure have become unprecedented. The author persua- sively argues that the struggle for mentality is not a secondary or peripheral phenom- enon, but rather a central component of modern warfare, in which the fate of national identity, moral resilience, and the stability of military-political governance is at stake.A distinctive feature of the article lies in its foundation both in theoretical analysis and in the systematization of approaches by Russian military experts who openly proclaim the “occupation of consciousness” as a strategic goal of a new type of war. The article is char- acterized by a clear structure, logical exposition, depth of analysis, and interdisciplinary breadth. The author not only summarizes existing approaches to understanding mental warfare but also formulates his own conceptual model as a part of the general theory of war, identifying its core patterns, methodological foundations, and principles of imple- mentation. This study will be valuable for specialists in political science, information security, as well as for developers of national resilience strategies. Thus, the presented scholarly text is a timely, conceptually significant, and methodologically sound study that constitutes an important contribution to the national science of war and security.