CEPA published a comprehensive report on the future of hybrid warfare, analyzing emerging threats and debunking common myths.

Cyber & Information WarfareInformation OperationsPropaganda & disinformation campaigns

AggressorDefense

Summary

The Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) released a report titled 'Hybrid Warfare of the Future' on August 20, 2021, updated in 2024, exploring the evolution of hybrid threats faced by NATO and allied nations. The report provides key campaign insights about the increasing complexity of hybrid warfare, blending kinetic, cyber, information, and economic tactics used primarily by Russia and other state actors to destabilize Western democracies. It debunks four common myths about hybrid warfare, clarifying misconceptions and emphasizing the layered, multi-domain strategies adversaries employ. CEPA's work highlights the necessity for enhanced resilience, strategic communication, and multidimensional response capabilities among allies. The report and a series of 'Hybrid Mythbusters' briefs accompany the analysis to educate policymakers and practitioners. CEPA is a Washington-based think tank that provides analysis on European defense and security. The publication includes related content on sanctions, disinformation, and regional security challenges linked to hybrid threats.

Classification

Confidence: High

The event is classified as aggressor because it discusses Russian-style hybrid warfare tactics and information operations as threats. It is classified as defense prep because the report focuses on preparing NATO and allies to understand and counter future hybrid threats through strategic communication and resilience-building measures.

Source URL

https://cepa.org/comprehensive-reports/hybrid-warfare-of-the-future

Open source

Provenance

Publisher: extension
Submitted: Feb 1, 2026, 00:14 UTC
Last updated: Nov 4, 2026, 08:36 UTC
Event time: Aug 20, 2021, 20:40 UTC

Published as a Defense Preparations signal with a public source and reviewer-approved assessment bands. See the methodology for how records are assessed.

Raw record

{
  "id": "1b7c1a52-f78a-40a5-aa10-0e8c7f0374a5",
  "url": "https://cepa.org/comprehensive-reports/hybrid-warfare-of-the-future",
  "source": "extension",
  "status": "approved",
  "category": "Cyber & Information Warfare",
  "subcategory": "Information Operations",
  "incident_type": "Propaganda & disinformation campaigns",
  "country": "United States of America",
  "source_reliability": "A",
  "info_credibility": "2",
  "tags": [
    "hybrid warfare",
    "CEPA",
    "Russia",
    "disinformation",
    "information operations",
    "NATO",
    "security threat",
    "mythbusting",
    "strategic communication"
  ],
  "nodes": [],
  "countries": [
    "United States of America"
  ],
  "where_text": "Cyberspace",
  "headline": null,
  "description": "The Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) released a report titled 'Hybrid Warfare of the Future' on August 20, 2021, updated in 2024, exploring the evolution of hybrid threats faced by NATO and allied nations. The report provides key campaign insights about the increasing complexity of hybrid warfare, blending kinetic, cyber, information, and economic tactics used primarily by Russia and other state actors to destabilize Western democracies. It debunks four common myths about hybrid warfare, clarifying misconceptions and emphasizing the layered, multi-domain strategies adversaries employ. CEPA's work highlights the necessity for enhanced resilience, strategic communication, and multidimensional response capabilities among allies. The report and a series of 'Hybrid Mythbusters' briefs accompany the analysis to educate policymakers and practitioners. CEPA is a Washington-based think tank that provides analysis on European defense and security. The publication includes related content on sanctions, disinformation, and regional security challenges linked to hybrid threats.",
  "summary_short": "CEPA published a comprehensive report on the future of hybrid warfare, analyzing emerging threats and debunking common myths.",
  "summary_extended": null,
  "actor_primary": "Russia",
  "target_primary": null,
  "location_text": null,
  "location_region": null,
  "location_coordinates_lat": null,
  "location_coordinates_lon": null,
  "location_precision": "Unknown",
  "is_aggressor_signal": true,
  "signal_type": "DEFENSE_PREP_SIGNAL",
  "is_hybrid_war_signal": false,
  "classification_complete": true,
  "hybrid_signal_complete": true,
  "classification_confidence": "High",
  "classification_rationale": "The event is classified as aggressor because it discusses Russian-style hybrid warfare tactics and information operations as threats. It is classified as defense prep because the report focuses on preparing NATO and allies to understand and counter future hybrid threats through strategic communication and resilience-building measures.",
  "event_time_utc": "2021-08-20T20:40:00.000Z",
  "end_time_utc": null,
  "event_time_confidence": "unknown",
  "created_at": "2026-02-01T00:14:25.846Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-04T08:36:03.522Z",
  "reliability_band": "strong",
  "location_precision_band": "unknown",
  "time_precision_band": "unknown",
  "severity_band": "moderate",
  "attribution_confidence_band": "high",
  "attribution_basis": "single_source"
}

Public assessmentReliability: StrongSeverity: ModerateAttribution: HighSingle sourceTime: UnknownLocation: Unknown

Source reliability

Info credibility

Event time

Aug 20, 2021, 20:40 UTC

Event time confidence

unknown

Location

Cyberspace

Primary actor

Russia

Country

United States of America

Countries

United States of America

Tags

hybrid warfare, CEPA, Russia, disinformation, information operations, NATO, security threat, mythbusting, strategic communication

Loading signal...

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