Is Hybrid War Just?

NRU Higher School of Economics , 2016.

Kumankov A., Liubimov S.

This paper outlines the most essential aspects of hybrid wars as a new kind of warfare typical for the 21st century. This kind of war has not been analyzed properly. However, it can be even more dangerous type of conflict than world war because the enemies per se are hardly determined and consequences of a hybrid attack are unpredictable. This danger of hybrid war demonstrates the necessity to search limitations of war. Now the humanity has the international law as a system protecting peace and protecting human rights during the war. However, aggressors do not comply with international. Moreover, there are threats that are not regulated by international law at all, such as terrorist and insurgent activities, or cyber-attacks, or hybrid war precisely. This gap means that normative limitations of war must be added in order to supplement international legal system. Therefore, we will raise a question in this paper if contemporary just war theory can assume this function. Despite this theory has some disadvantages and vulnerabilities it could provide ruling for hybrid warfare. Thus, we will consider contemporary just war theory and its principles and their possible application to hybrid war. 

Keywords: just war theory, war, Hybrid war

Publication based on the results of: Философия войны в XXI в.: основные задачи и проблемы (2015)