Publication

This brief discusses the increasing use of hybrid warfare/nonlinear strategies by Russia and China. In particular, the brief’s author highlights 1) Russia's misrepresentation of deployed soldiers as local defense militias, which occurred in its annexation of Crimea in 2014; 2) the tactics used by such “militias”; and 3) the circumstances under which Russia is likely to deploy, or will be able to deploy, such troops again. The author then goes on to discuss China's use of hybrid/nonlinear tactics in the China Seas and why the United States is unlikely to employ similar measures as part of its wider military strategy.