Sobre Gerasimov:
He was also the one who came up with the Gerasimov doctrine. In essence, he's the mastermind behind the election interference, troll farms, and Russia's overall military strategy. If Gerasimov is out of the fight, not only is it a major PR/morale win for Ukraine, but it means Russia can't hold on to any leadership whatsoever.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerasimovdoctrine
The Gerasimov Doctrine, named after the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, is a foreign policy doctrine.[1][2][3]
The doctrine redefines the modern concept of interstate conflict and warfare puts it on a par with political, economic, informational,[4] humanitarian and other non-military activities.[5][6][7][8] The doctrine became known after its publication in February 2013 and the subsequent actions of Russia in relation to Ukraine, which fully coincide with the theses of this doctrine.[1]
According to a number of researchers, the key elements of the Gerasimov Doctrine underlie the concept of New Generation Warfare.[9] However, there are opinions[10] that hybrid warfare is alien to Russian military theory.
Doctrine
The doctrine calls for a 4:1 ratio of non-military to military action.
Military action
- Military measures of strategic deterrence
- Strategic deployment.
- Warfare.
- peacekeeping operations.
Non-military actions
- Formation of coalitions and alliances.
- Political and diplomatic pressure.
- Economic sanctions
- Economic blockade
- Breakdown of diplomatic relations.
- Formation of political opposition.
- Action of opposition forces.
- Conversion of the economy of the country confronting Russia to the military rails.[Clarification needed]
- Finding ways to resolve the conflict.
- Changing the political leadership of the country confronting Russia.
- Implementation of a set of measures to reduce tensions in relations after the change of political leadership.
- In addition, the doctrine assumes "information confrontation," without specifying whether these activities are military or non-military.[11]
Evaluation of the doctrine by experts
According to some experts,[17] its key elements are based on the historical roots of Russia's previous military doctrine and show a striking similarity to the provisions of China's "unlimited war" doctrine, published in 1999. It is believed that this doctrine can be seen as a reinterpretation in the realities of the 21st century of the well-known concept of unconventional warfare, which in modern Russian military terminology are called "nonlinear".[17]
Within this framework, the main goal of "nonlinear warfare" is to achieve the desired strategic and geopolitical results, using a wide toolbox of non-military methods and means: explicit and covert diplomacy, economic pressure, winning the sympathy of the local population, etc.[17]
According to the U.S. military, the "Gerasimov Doctrine" represents the most complete embodiment of the latest achievements of Russian military thought in a new type of warfare, which demonstrates the unprecedented integration of all capabilities of national influence to achieve strategic advantages. Based on the discreteness of the idea of war, which was established in Russian culture by Leo Tolstoy's classic novel War and Peace, the Gerasimov doctrine has blurred the lines between the polarized states of "war" and "peace," introducing a kind of analog to the Western idea of an intermediate continuum or "gray zone".[citation needed] American analysts point out that the Russian military's use of the new developments surprisingly inverts some of the fundamental paradigms of armed confrontation that were laid down in the works of Carl von Clausewitz and have been considered immutable for centuries.[16]
For example, Clausewitz's definition of war as a "continuation of politics, but by other means" no longer applies in the "Gerasimov doctrine" because it does not consider war as a continuation of politics, but politics as a continuation of war, emphasizing that the effective conduct of politics may involve a broader arsenal of non-military means and methods. Similarly, the Gerasimov Doctrine forces a reconsideration of several other important tenets, such as Clausewitz's military-theoretical understanding of the "center of gravity" as a key point of effort.[16]
Western experts were particularly concerned by the apparent focus of the Russian "Gerasimov doctrine" on exploiting the weak links of the Western principle of managerial decision making, which is based on a system of checks and balances that implies exhaustive analysis of the situation, lengthy public discussion and extensive coordination of the efforts of various agencies (the State Department, the Department of Defense, etc.).
In contrast, the Russian model of governance, based on Gerasimov's ideas, seamlessly combines all the authoritative institutions, making coordination between them completely unencumbered.[citation needed] Their functioning is hidden from the outside observer by an impenetrable veil of secrecy, and the available tools use the applied achievements of Reflexive control, which allows the Russian authorities to act rigidly, flexibly and quickly, and not particularly distracted by such conventions as legality, legitimacy, etc..[citation needed]
Application of the doctrine
Given the release date of the Gerasimov report and Russia's subsequent actions, many experts are inclined to link these events and directly point to Russia's use of the doctrine against Ukraine[1] and the US.[3]
