Published June 29, 2026 | Version v1

HYBRID WARFARE LEGAL GAPS. THE EVOLUTION OF HYBRID WARFARE: DISINFORMATION AND GREY ZONE OPERATIONS BEYOND INTERNATIONAL LAW

  • 1. Georgian National University SEU

Description

Hypothesis: International law’s usual split between war and peace does not cover modern hybrid warfare. As shown by Schmitt et al. (2017) in the Tallinn Manual 2.0, cyber and Grey Zone attacks often stay below the level of an "armed attack," making it hard to identify the attacker and allowing states to break sovereignty rules without facing legal punishment (Bachmann, 2023; Mazarr, 2015). 

Files

Annali d’Italia №80 2026-70-79.pdf

Files (486.9 kB)

Name Size
md5:d21670c33b7775378ebe8a5ba75ad3f3
486.9 kB Preview Download

Additional details

References

  • 1. Giordano, James. "Cognitive Warfare 2026: NATO's Chief Scientist Report as Sentinel Call for Operational Readiness." Institute for National Strategic Studies. 2. Sari, Aurel (2018). "Blurred Lines: Hybrid Threats and the Politics of International Law." 3. Letrone, William Axel (2022). "PSYOPS, State-sponsored online disinformation in interna-tional law." Kobe University, Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies. 4. Sari, Aurel (2018). "Blurred Lines: Hybrid Threats and the Politics of International Law." Hybrid CoE Strategic Analysis 4. 5. Lahmann, Henning (2022). "Infecting the Mind: Establishing Responsibility for Transbound-ary Disinformation." European Journal of International Law, Vol. 33(2). 6. Maass, Richard W. "Legal Deterrence by Denial: Strategic Initiative and International Law in the Gray Zone.
  • 7. Praks, Henrik (2024). "Russia's Hybrid Threat Tactics Against the Baltic Sea Region: From Disinformation to Sabotage." Hybrid CoE Working Paper 32 8. Bolt, Neville, et al. (2023). "Understanding Strategic Communications." NATO Strategic Com-munications Center of Excellence (StratCom COE), Publication No. 3. 9. Countering Disinformation in the Euro-Atlantic: Strengths and Gaps" (2024). Hybrid CoE Research Report 15. 10. Hoffman, Frank G. (2007). Conflict in the 21st Century: The Rise of Hybrid Wars. Arlington, VA: Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. 11. United Nations (1945). Charter of the United Nations, 1 UNTS XVI 12. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Summit Declarations and Strategic Con-cepts (2014–2022).