OVERCOMING SYSTEMIC VULNERABILITIES OF THE SPHERES OF INFLUENCE OF HYBRID THREATS IN ENSURING STABILITY AND COMPREHENSIVE SECURITY IN THE CONDITIONS OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

Abstract

The article summarizes international experience and methodical approaches regarding the complex solution of tasks to overcome systemic vulnerabilities in the spheres of influence of hybrid threats and the formation of a national resilience ecosystem. Defines that the characteristic features of hybrid aggression are the use of a wide range of military, paramilitary and non-military means, which include tools of political, economic, and humanitarian influence of the enemy on the defining spheres of society's life. The asymmetry of hybrid aggression involves non-linearity and rhizomorphism, as well as the use of various means of influence and borders between war and peace, but does not affect the conceptual foundations and vector of its promotion of war. It is a prerequisite and accompanies the escalation of the conflict, which under certain conditions, often unforeseen, develops into full-scale military operations. Hybrid aggression uses mainly hidden means of informational and psychological confrontation and pressure, which includes: destabilization, provocation, incitement, propaganda, disinformation, discrediting, terrorist actions and cyber attacks, blackmail, etc. in relation to objects of hybrid influence.

It is justified that one of the most important aspects of the processes of institutionalization of the environment in the field of the formation of comprehensive security of society should be considered the formation of a national ecosystem of sustainability with the appropriate structuring, which is a certain set of subsystems, components and elements that provide the dynamics of development and the main characteristics of the processes of institutionalization of the corresponding ecosystem of sustainability in various spheres of society's life on the basis of clear principles of its functioning, as well as the possibilities of using appropriate methods and means of response in conditions of hybrid threats. Emphasis is placed on the expediency of using the integrated ecosystem of resilience (CORE) model to analyze and find effective ways and means of countering hybrid threats that are potentially vulnerable to democratic societies and capable of influencing decision-making processes and creating cascading effects, as well as for forecasting (foresight) of various scenarios of the development of events in conditions of hybrid threats, as it demonstrates, among other things, dependencies between society, the state and clusters, as well as multilateral communities and global levels.

An approach to defining integrated domains (macrodomains), whose spheres and tools of impression have a certain consistency, is proposed. An integrated approach to the systematization of domains of hybrid threats made it possible to conditionally differentiate their totality into 5 meaningful components (integrated macrodomains): 1) strategic (economic-infrastructural): economic domains, domains of critical infrastructure; domain of spatial (space) activity; 2) political (political-legal): political domains; legal domains; domains of public administration; diplomatic domains; defense (military-paramilitary): military domains; intelligence activity domains; societal (socio-humanitarian): cultural domains; social domains; information (information-technological): information domains; cyber domains. An integrated approach to the definition of meaningful components (integrated macrodomains) will contribute to prompt recognition and countermeasures against the use of standardized tools of hybrid influence on adjacent spheres (domains).

It is noted that, based on the scope and spectrum of application of hybrid threat tools, the insufficient capacity of the professional security sector to effectively counter hybrid aggression, relying solely on its own resources, is determined. It is emphasized that under the conditions of the permanent spread of hybrid threats, the professional security sector cannot be isolated from society as a sphere of influence of tools of hybrid influence and feels an urgent need to focus more on public awareness of hybrid threats and the search for new and even non-paramilitary ways of countering hybrid aggression with on the part of the proactive public.