Bogusław Pacek | Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland
ORCID 0000-0001-8111-1682
Piotr Pacek | Collegium Civitas, Warsaw, Poland
ORCID 0000-0002-2182-2316
„Bezpieczeństwo. Teoria i Praktyka”, 2/2023, s. 11-27
DOI 10.48269/2451-0718-btip-2023-2-001
PDF: English
Abstract: The article attempts to present the Russia’s devastating impact on critical infrastructure during the hybrid war in Ukraine. In order to present a broader context regarding the process, a timeline of the Ukraine-Russia war is presented, starting with the seizure of Crimea, the separation of Donbass, the beginning of the invasion and the Kiev phase, the positional war, and ending with the Kharkiv and Kherson counter-offensives. It goes on to analyse the targets and magnitude of Russian attacks on critical infrastructure, including such as medical and energy infrastructure. Authors point out that many times the overriding aim is to make life difficult for the civilian community, presumably to trigger signs of discontent and opposition to the Ukrainian authorities. The article also identifies the risks in the area of destruction of critical infrastructure in possible future conflicts and points to the need to take measures to strengthen the resilience of societies and states enabling their undisturbed functioning.
Key words: hybrid war, critical infrastructure, war strategy of Russia, war in Ukraine, concept of Gierasimov