The “Digital War”
According to Ruslan Pukhov and General Iurii Baluevskii, the war in Ukraine marks the advent of the “digital war,” in which superiority depends on the ability to see, strike, and move faster than the adversary through information. Digitalization, they claim, changes the very way war is conceived. Operations are now determined by the speed at which data is collected, processed, and transmitted; by the interconnection of weapons and sensors; and by the integration of civilian and military networks into a single information space.
In response, Russia must undergo a systemic transition based on several pillars:
- Doctrinal adaptation — redefining how operations are planned and conducted in light of new digital environments and the “total transparency” of the battlefield.
- Armament reform — gradually abandoning heavy, slow platforms in favor of smart, connected, autonomous weapons.
- Technological scaling-up — domestic development of electronic components, software, networks, and computing capabilities required for next-generation warfare.
- Logistical adaptation — creating flexible supply chains capable of supporting dispersed, mobile, high-technology warfare.
- Integration of the informational and space domains — unifying satellites, sensors, and communication systems into a single command structure to ensure uninterrupted coordination.
According to the authors, Russia has little time to carry out this transformation. Digital warfare is evolving rapidly, and Western powers have already accumulated several cycles of advantage in drones, satellite intelligence, and military artificial intelligence. If Moscow delays in reforming its doctrines and its industry, the technological gap could become a lasting strategic disadvantage.
Experts: Iurii Baluevskii, former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and First Deputy Minister of Defence (2004–2008); Ruslan Pukhov, Director of the Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST)
Source: «Cifrovaâ vojna – novaâ realʹnostʹ», Rossija v Global’noj Politike, 29 October 2025
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