Author: Gurakuç Kuçi - Senior Researcher
Gurakuç Kuçi - Senior Researcher
Gurakuç Kuçi is a doctor of international relations and the history of diplomacy at the University of Tetova in North Macedonia, he has completed a master’s degree in International Politics and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science at the University of Pristina “Hasan Prishtina”, as well as another bachelor’s degree in Journalism at the same institution. He is a researcher at the Institute for Hybrid Warfare Studies “OCTOPUS” and has experience working with non-governmental organizations and journalism. Kuçi has several scientific publications in international journals.
Octopus Institute – Job Opening AnnouncementPosition: Researcher in the Field of Security and Hybrid WarfareLocation: Prishtina The Institute for the Study of Hybrid Warfare – Octopus is seeking a qualified professional with academic and analytical expertise to join our team as a researcher. The role involves conducting in-depth research on hybrid warfare, influence operations, disinformation, and security challenges in complex political and informational environments. Requirements: Application Details: Join a dynamic team on the frontlines of strategic analysis and the defense of our information space.
The Institute for Hybrid Warfare Studies “OCTOPUS” will host a forum on Saturday, June 28, 2025, dedicated to reexamining historical narratives, under the theme: “Vidovdan between Myth and Geopolitics: Its Role in the Serbian National Project.” The event aims to spotlight the strategic use of this narrative in advancing Serbian state policies toward Kosovo and the broader region. The forum will gather prominent academics, security experts, Albanologists, philosophers, and journalists from Kosovo and abroad to explore the historical, ideological, and geopolitical dimensions of the Vidovdan myth. The discussions will shed light on how this narrative has been instrumentalized as a…
Author: Dr. Gurakuç Kuçi – Senior Researcher at Institute for Hybrid Warfare Studies “OCTOPUS” and professor at Universum College The statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 19, 2025, at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum that “the DPR (Donetsk) and LPR (Luhansk) had the right to secede from Ukraine without Kyiv’s permission, based on the Kosovo precedent,” represents a strategically dangerous act. It is simultaneously an instrument of pressure against the West and a double-edged signal with concrete consequences for the future of Kosovo, especially its north.This statement was preceded by two other developments: This chronological order may be…
Author: Dr. Gurakuç Kuçi – Senior Researcher at Institute for Hybrid Warfare Studies “OCTOPUS” and professor At the onset of the former Yugoslavia’s disintegration, the year 1989 marked a dark turning point for Kosovo. Serbia, under the leadership of Slobodan Milosevic, unilaterally revoked Kosovo’s constitutional autonomy, dismantled its institutions, and imposed an oppressive system on the Albanian majority. This institutionalized repression was part of a broader Serbian nationalist-chauvinist project, which in the ensuing decade would lead to bloody wars and the genocide in Bosnia (1992–1995), shocking the international conscience. Within this climate of violence and denial, the Serbian regime began…
As we previously warned during the roundtable discussion on January 28 and our policy paper published on January 31, 2025, Serbia’s interference in the February 9 elections is escalating to alarming proportions. Recent findings indicate systematic interference by Belgrade aimed at influencing voters and distorting the electoral process. Given the political and security implications, the Octopus Institute assesses that immediate and heightened attention from both domestic and international institutions and observers is crucial in safeguarding the integrity of the elections. Necessary actions should include: Serbia’s actions represent a direct threat to the integrity of the elections, making imperative to undertake…
On January 15, 1999, during the second day of the Orthodox New Year, Serbia marked yet another dark chapter of atrocity in its history. In the village of Reçak in Shtime, Serbian forces massacred 45 men, women, and children, all unarmed civilians. This barbaric act once again demonstrated the brutality of a genocidal regime, intent on the extermination of Albanians. Until that day, Serbia’s propaganda machine had managed to obscure and distort the facts of its crimes in Kosovo. However, in Reçak, the truth triumphed under the watchful eyes of Ambassador William Walker. On the morning of January 16, 1999,…
Dr. Iryna SynelnykResearcher at Institute for Hybrid Warfare Studies “OCTOPUS”iryna.synelnyk@octopusinstitute.org Abstract This paper deals with Russia’s declared and real goals in Ukraine during the war, which has been going on since 2014, and Russia’s interests in expanding its influence in European countries. This topic has been covered by many contemporary media in Russia, Ukraine and Western countries, therefore we have made an attempt to analyze this information through a content-analyze, summarizing some findings of analytical centers and some Ukrainian and Western experts. Special attention is paid to the ideological basis of modern Russian aggression and attempts to form an anti-Western…
Dr. Gurakuç KuçiSenior Research at Institute for Hybrid Warfare Studies “OCTOPUS”gurakuq.kuqi@octopusinstitute.orgProfessor at Universum Collegegurakuq.kuqi@universum-ks.org Abstract The Western Balkans is transforming into one of the primary fronts of confrontation between global powers, where Russia’s and Serbia’s hybrid strategies directly challenge the stability and sovereignty of countries in the region. This paper examines the complex dimensions of this hybrid warfare, focusing on recent attacks in Banjska and Zvecan, which signify a deliberate escalation aimed at destabilizing Kosovo. Through the use of demographic manipulations, sabotage of critical infrastructure, and the provocation of ethnic tensions, Russia and Serbia are leveraging the Balkans as a…
Dr. Gurakuç Kuçi Senior Researcher at Institute for Hybrid Warfare Studies “OCTOPUS”gurakuq.kuqi@octopusinstitute.org Abstract This paper examines Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics against the Western Balkans, focusing on using direct and indirect methods to exert influence in the region. The study delves into Russia’s strategic use of media manipulation, cyberattacks, and disinformation campaigns, alongside its employment of proxy state and non-state actors such as Serbia, Republika Srpska, and the Serbian Orthodox Church. Leveraging historical, cultural, and religious ties, Russia seeks to destabilize the Western Balkans and prevent closer integration with NATO and the European Union. Special attention is given to the geopolitics…
Introduction: The Institute for Hybrid Warfare Studies “OCTOPUS” in Pristina organized an international conference on October 2, 2024, titled “The Impact of Russian Aggression in Ukraine on European Geopolitics.” The event featured prominent experts, diplomats, politicians, and scholars from the region, as well as internationally recognized figures, including Dr. Jennifer Cassidy from Oxford, Dr. Pekka Kallioniemi from Finland, Ukrainian Professor Dr. Ihor Todorov, among others. Discussions focused on the consequences of the conflict for security and international relations, offering a platform for dialogue and deep analysis of the impacts of Russian aggression, the challenges, and opportunities for Europe in this…