Unraveling Current Trends in Hybrid Warfare 3.0: A Literature Study on Modern Non-Conventional Threats
Keywords:
Hybrid Warfare, Non-Conventional Threats, Disinformation, Cybersecurity, EU, NATOAbstract
Hybrid Warfare 3.0 represents a significant evolution in the global security threat landscape, blending advanced digital technology, disinformation, and non-military geopolitical pressure. This paper presents the findings of a literature review of 12 recent academic journals to identify key trends, manifestations, and responses to non-conventional threats within the context of Hybrid Warfare 3.0. Findings indicate that these threats are characterized by the close integration of technologies such as AI (for deep-fakes and bots), weaponized migration as a geopolitical pressure tool, and offensive cyber operations. The Russia-Ukraine conflict case study clarifies the multifaceted nature of this threat. Institutional responses by the EU and NATO have evolved but still face challenges in adaptation and coordination. This paper concludes that confronting Hybrid Warfare 3.0 requires a holistic approach encompassing strengthened information resilience, closer institutional cooperation, and the development of adaptive technological capabilities.Downloads
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References
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Bankov, B. (2024). Hybrid Warfare: How to Escape the Conceptual Gray-Zone. Journal of Strategic Security, 17(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.5038/1944-0472.17.1.2118
Battista, D. (2024). The Hybrid Warfare of the Digital Age: How Disinformation Destabilizes the World. HAPSc Policy Briefs Series, 5(2), 65–70. https://doi.org/10.12681/hapscpbs.40782
Bertolini, M., Minicozzi, R., & Sweijs, T. (2023). Ten guidelines for dealing with hybrid threats: A policy response framework. Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS).
CIEKANOWSKI, H. A. B. Z., ŻURAWSKI, S., & OSKIERKO, M. (2025). The migration crisis as a tool of hybrid warfare–Analysis of selected cases at the borders of the European Union. L’europe/United Europe, 22(march), 20–29.
Filina, A. (2023). Gibridnaya Voyna in Light of the War in Ukraine: Analysing Changes in Russian Interpretations and the Use of Hybrid Warfare Concept.
Fridman, O., Daukšas, V., Venclauskienė, L., & Urbanavičiūtė, K. (2024). War on All Fronts: How the Kremlin’s Media Ecosystem Broadcasts the War in Ukraine. NATO Strategic Communicaitons Centre of Excellence.
GABRIAN, & Claudia-Alecsandra. (2024). Claudia-Alecsandra GABRIAN RANSOMWARE IN THE AGE OF AI : NAVIGATING CYBERSECURITY CHALLENGES. Studia Securitatis, 18, 151–163.
Genini, D. (2025). Countering hybrid threats: How NATO must adapt (again) after the war in Ukraine. New Perspectives, 33(2), 122–149. https://doi.org/10.1177/2336825X251322719
Jasper, S., Vijayakumar, D., Stalin, B., Rajesh, S., & Ida, S. J. (2023). Experimental investigation of a multilayer nitride coating deposited on austenitic coating steel. Materials Today: Proceedings, 74, 117–121.
Kostarakos, M. (2023). European Union and NATO Cooperation in Hybrid Threats. In Handbook for Management of Threats: Security and Defense, Resilience and Optimal Strategies (pp. 405–423). Springer.
Łubiński, P. (2022). Hybrid warfare or hybrid threat–the weaponization of migration as an example of the use of lawfare–case study of Poland. Polish Political Science Yearbook, 51(1), 43–55.
Mecková, S. (2024). Faces of Truth: Analyzing Russian Hybrid Warfare Narratives in newsfront.
Mészáros, E. L., & Țoca, C. V. (2023). The EU’s resilience and the management of hybrid threats coming from the Eastern neighbourhood: Belarus and the deliberate facilitation of irregular immigration. Eastern Journal of European Studies, 14(1).
Mumford, A., & Carlucci, P. (2023). Hybrid warfare: The continuation of ambiguity by other means. European Journal of International Security, 8(2), 192–206. https://doi.org/10.1017/eis.2022.19
Ormrod, A., Ormrod, D., & Slay, J. (2023). Cyber Offensive Operations in Hybrid Warfare: Observations from the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict. Journal of Information Warfare, 22(1), 76–87. https://www.jinfowar.com/sites/default/files/Cyber Offensive Operations in Hybrid Warfare_0.pdf
ȘTEFAN, M. (2023). EU Policies for Developing Capabilities to Counter Hybrid Threats. Romanian Military Thinking, 2023(1), 168–181. https://doi.org/10.55535/rmt.2023.1.9
Steingartner, W., Galinec, D., Vaľko, D., & Ádám, N. (2024). Disinformation Campaigns: Battling Misinformation for Resilience in Hybrid Threats Model. Acta Polytechnica Hungarica, 21(10), 517–532. https://doi.org/10.12700/aph.21.10.2024.10.31
Stoakes, E. (2024). Toward a self-defence model for media in small democracies: responding to weaponised information in the ‘new cold war’environment.
Waltzman, R. (2017). The Weaponization of Information: The Need for Cognitive Security. The Weaponization of Information: The Need for Cognitive Security. https://doi.org/10.7249/ct473
Wróblewski, W., Wiśniewski, M., & Bieniasz, J. (2025). Civil Protection and Domestic Security in Contemporary Hybrid Warfare. Routledge.
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Published
2025-07-31
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Unraveling Current Trends in Hybrid Warfare 3.0: A Literature Study on Modern Non-Conventional Threats. (2025). Proceeding of International Conference on Economics, Technology, Management, Accounting, Education, and Social Science (ICETEA), 1, 296-306. https://conference.unita.ac.id/index.php/icetea/article/view/378
