Russia's Cyber Warfare in Georgia and Ukraine : How does it challenge International Humanitarian Law?

This thesis explores how International Humanitarian Law (IHL) applies to cyber operations during armed conflicts, focusing on the legal challenges and gaps exposed by Russia’s cyber operations in Georgia (2008) and Ukraine (2014, 2022). Cyber warfare has become a critical element of modern armed conflict, but IHL struggles to regulate this new form of warfare. The thesis examines how the core principles of IHL, distinction, proportionality, and military necessity, are challenged when applied to the cyber domain. It also discusses the issue of attribution, which remains one of the most difficult legal problems in cyber warfare. Using real-life examples, including the Kyivstar attack, the thesis shows how dual-use infrastructure and cyber-tech unpredictability create legal uncertainty. The analysis further shows that while IHL applies to cyber operations during armed conflict, the rules are not always easy to implement. The main conclusion is that IHL must evolve to stay relevant in the age of cyber warfare and must offer the same level of protection to civilians, whether the attack comes from a missile or from a computer system.