Fridman/Michlin-Shapir: Information War as Russia's Theory of Influence
Date: November 2nd, 2022 at 17:00 CET / 12:00 EST Platform: Cisco Webex Events
Link to Video Recording
Abstract
The Russian concept of “information war” significantly differs from the Western view of Russia’s malign disinformation/information operations and malign influence conducted predominantly in the information domain. While Western political and professional discourse on Russia’s influence is dominated by understanding its malign activities as predominantly informational, the Russian information war presents a unique approach that is a wide-ranging framework for understanding relations in which “nonmilitary” means are employed across all possible domains to influence the opponent.
Details
RSI will host Ofer Fridman and Vera Michlin-Shapir for a discussion on their recent RSI-sponsored research titled, Information War as Russia's Theory of Influence.
Biographies
Ofer Fridman
Title: Director of Operations Affiliation: King's Center for Strategic Communications; Senior Lecturer, Department of War Studies, King's College London
Dr. Ofer Fridman is Director of Operations at King’s Centre for Strategic Communications (KCSC) and Senior Lecturer at the Department of War Studies, King’s College London. He has worked on projects commissioned by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the European Parliament, and the Government of Canada.
His recent books include Strategiya: The Foundations of the Russian Art of Strategy (Oxford University Press, 2021) and Russian ‘Hybrid Warfare’: Resurgence and Politicization (Oxford University Press, 2018/2022). Prior to his academic career, he served for 15 years in the Israel Defense Forces on active duty.
Vera Michlin-Shapir
Title: Visiting Fellow Affiliation: King's Center for Strategic Communications; Lecturer, Department of War Studies, King's College London
Dr. Vera Michlin-Shapir is Visiting Fellow at King’s Centre for Strategic Communications (KCSC) and Lecturer at the Department of War Studies, King’s College London. She worked for six years (2010–2016) in the Israeli National Security Council, Prime Minister’s Office.
Her recent book, Fluid Russia: Between the Global and the National in the Post-Soviet Era, was published in 2021 by Cornell University Press. She coauthored a report on Russia’s coronavirus vaccine diplomacy, The Rise and Fall of Sputnik V—How the Kremlin Used the Coronavirus Vaccine as a Tool of Information Warfare, published by the Institute of Modern Russia in New York.