Public opinion as a battleground of hybrid warfare

Public opinion is a complex and dynamic phenomenon that significantly determines the capacity of a nation for defense. Its management can yield effects that support defense preparedness but, conversely, can also be exploited by aggressors to facilitate the achievement of their objectives. The contemporary security environment is marked by highly hybridized threats, which constitute escalated hybrid challenges. Their terminal form manifests predominantly through non-violent means - hybrid warfare. One of the dominant strategies in escalating hybrid challenges into threats is the manipulation of public opinion. Disinformation, half-truths, propaganda, and rumors are just some of the tools used to influence the public. The effects achieved include a lack of will to defend, resistance to combat, and even the acceptance of the aggressor as a savior. This paper analyzes the concept of the public and hybrid warfare through the lens of its impact on defense readiness. Through a literature review, the paper offers a grounded approach to understanding the need for building resilience capacities against aggressive and malign forms of strategic communication aimed at achieving the objectives of hybrid actions.