Hybrid warfare
Etymology
Popularized by military analyst Frank Hoffman in the 2000s and adopted by NATO after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, where regular troops, local proxies, and information operations were combined. "Hybrid" signals the deliberate mixing of modes.
noun phrase · /HY-brid WOR-fair/
A strategy that blends conventional force with irregular tactics, cyberattacks, disinformation, and economic pressure.
What it names
The modern reality that conflict is rarely just soldiers and tanks, capturing how states mix military and non-military tools into one campaign.
Example
The campaign combined troops on the border with hacking, fake news, and gas cutoffs — textbook hybrid warfare.
Related idea
Broader than soft power, which persuades through attraction; hybrid warfare fuses persuasion, coercion, and force into a single hostile effort.