Very little of the ‘hybrid’ remains

If everything is hybrid, then nothing is. On 20 August, when Romania, after consulting with NATO, took the decision to shoot down a Russian marine drone laden with explosives that was approaching a gas extraction platform in the Black Sea, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, commented: “A growing campaign of threats is underway that is unsettling our citizens and seeking to divide our Union. This is hybrid warfare.” The adjective ‘hybrid’ in relation to an explosive drone seemed out of place, just as it did in connection with the events in Germany. Technically, it means that this is an act of undeclared, covert warfare aimed at weakening the adversary from within. Today, however, the Russian threat against the countries of the Atlantic Alliance is increasingly direct, and ‘hybrid’ serves almost as a lightning rod – a way of saying that the situation is not yet serious enough to warrant taking drastic, direct and strong decisions, which in some cases means, above all, responsible ones.

What is happening now, however, is that the misuse of the term ‘hybrid’ obscures the real threat posed by Russia; the populations of NATO countries often do not even know what it means when associated with war, so it does not actually help them to perceive the true extent of the risk. It removes responsibility, infantilises and distracts at a time when, on the contrary, voters should be expected to be fully aware of their choices. Then there is the practical question: can a drone capable of causing casualties, or an explosive device placed on a section of railway track capable of derailing a train, still be classified as acts of hybrid warfare? When attribution is certain – as in Leipzig – and when Moscow employs inept spies to cause damage, is this not rather a declared war? It seems the fear is that removing the adjective ‘hybrid’ would immediately trigger NATO protocols, whereas it would actually serve to explain to the public what is really happening, why Ukraine must be supported and why Russia must be stopped.