The art form of impersonating others is not exempt from this trend and has been incorporated into the soft-power arsenal. This precise and meticulously chosen tool for conducting information attacks may be far more effective than simple hard power: it can affect millions, discredit influential people, and split societies into factions based on the behaviour, speeches, and expressions of public figures. For example, if the prime minister of a neighbouring country expresses an opinion on sensitive issues in an official statement about upcoming events in the country, it could lead to the loss of population trust in that leader and, simultaneously, leave the message open to competing interpretations. One of the lesser-known tools for conducting information attacks in the Russian soft power arsenal is telephone trolling by pranksters. Thus, like a chef de cuisine, Russia’s political-military establishment is searching for recipes to prepare meals for the ’public’s eyes and minds. What would be the most suitable ingredients to prepare a popular dish? How should the final product be delivered? Who should be the target audience? Will it be aimed at a domestic audience or directed abroad (for example, at neighbouring countries and/or other regions and continents)? Ingredients for the dish might be personal dissenting opinions of influential politicians, famous actors, etc. The careful selection of targets and the use of different methods to extract information by provoking a target person allow attackers to obtain sensitive material and then build campaigns to publicise such information or to use it in subtle geopolitical games. These operations can play a crucial role in influencing people — such as a targeted country’s political leaders and influential celebrities — to steer an ongoing process in a desired direction.
Straipsnyje apžvelgiama Rusijos karinė politika 2003-2004 metais. Siekiama aptarti Rusijos karinės politikos raidą, pobūdį bei pastarojo meto Rusijos Federacijos (RF) karinės politikos ypatumus, pateikiama nemažai jos nenuoseklumo bei dviveidiškumo pavyzdžių.
Dėl temos platumo apžvelgiami ne visi, o tik patys svarbiausi bei Baltijos regionui didžiausią įtaką darantys ar galintys daryti Rusijos karinės politikos aspektai: Rusijos karinės doktrinos pokyčiai, RF karinės reformos pobūdis, strateginių branduolinių pajėgų bei taktinių branduolinių ginklų vaidmuo Rusijos karinėje strategijoje, karinio pramonės komplekso plėtra, karinio bendradarbiavimo su kitomis valstybėmis, regioninėmis struktūromis ir politiniais-kariniais blokais ypatumai.
Daugiausiai dėmesio skiriama Rusijos karinei politikai NVS erdvėje, Rusijos vaidmeniui Kolektyvinio saugumo sutarties organizacijoje bei kariniam Rusijos ir Baltarusijos bendradarbiavimui, analizuojant šį reiškinį kaip vieną iš RF karinės politikos įgyvendinimo priemonių. Trumpai aptariama ir pastarųjų metų Rusijos karinė strategija Baltijos jūros regione.
In the article it is reviewed the Russian military policy in the period of the years 2003-2004. It is tried to reveal the evolution o nature and the latter peculiarities of the military policy of Russian Federation (RF). There are presented quite a few instances of the Russian military policy‘s inconsequence as well as duplicity.
Due to the extent of the subject there are reviewed not all, but only the most important and for the Baltic region the biggest impact doing or being able to do aspects of the Russian military policy: the changes in the Russian military doctrine, the nature of the RF military reform, the role of the strategic nuclear forces and the tactical nuclear weapons in the Russian military strategy, the development of the military - industrial complex, the peculiarities of the military collaboration with other nations, regional structures of the regional and political - military blocs.
The most attention is given to the Russian military policy in the CIS space, to the Russian role in the Organisation of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation and to the Russia-Belarus military collaboration, while analysing this phenomenon as one of the means of the RF military policy implementation. There is also briefly discussed the Russian military strategy of the latter years in the Baltic region.