Russian Political Warfare

Political warfare is a grey area between peace and war. It involves a diverse array of methods and instruments that go beyond traditional diplomacy and soft power but stops short of open kinetic conflict using nations’ regular armed forces.

This collection of Anton Shekhovtsov’s essays delves into practices of Russian political warfare designed to advance Moscow’s strategic and tactical objectives in European countries and certain African states. It reveals how Russian state actors and pro-regime stakeholders meddled in elections, politicised and weaponised the COVID-19 pandemic, amplified religious conflicts, undermined democratic institutions, and corrupted political forces.