Author: OctopusInstitute
Gjon Culaj, Associate Fellow at the “Octopus” Institute Political and social polarization has become one of the most concerning and potentially destabilizing phenomena for the functioning of contemporary democracies (EPRS, 2025). From the perspective of contemporary security theories, social cohesion and political stability are considered essential elements of comprehensive security strategy, beyond the traditional concept of protection from external military threats. Barry Buzan, one of the most prominent theorists in security studies, in his book “People, States and Fear”, emphasizes that security should be understood as a multidimensional concept that includes not only the military dimension, but also the political,…
Today, 37 years ago, Slobodan Milošević had “formalized” the plan for the Serbianization of Kosovo. The suppression of autonomy on March 23, 1989 was preconditioned through “victimization” as a strategy of the Academy of Sciences (1986), in order to legitimize violence as a “defensive” instrument. The level of political autonomy guaranteed by the 1974 Constitution was the legal obstacle to Milošević’s mechanism: first, the narrative of “victimization” (Kosovo Polje, 1987) and its use to justify the suppression (The Guardian, 2019), so that extraordinary measures would encourage the emigration of Albanians (Human Rights Watch, 1990–1992) as a method for the gradual…
An investigation by the international investigative journalism network Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) has revealed how modern Russian influence operations in Europe are concealed. According to the investigation, the case began when the name Achim Detjen appeared as the author on a German-language portal called Anonymous News. Detjen is the name of the hero of the Stasi from the 1970s (the Soviet equivalent of James Bond), who fought Western plots in the East German television series “Das Unsichtbare Visier”. The article on this portal fabricated, without evidence, a connection between French President Emmanuel Macron and convicted sex offender…
Gjon Culaj, Associate Fellow at the “Octopus” Institute At a time of global uncertainty, when the world is facing successive crises such as Russian aggression in Ukraine, strategic rivalry with China, and instability in the Middle East, the Munich Security Conference (MSC-2026) presented a clear picture of the state and challenges of transatlantic relations. Where the discourse once revolved around unwavering unity between the United States and Europe, today the debate has shifted toward strategic balance, the consolidation of European autonomy, and the politico-military resilience of the Western alliance. In this context, relations between the United States and the European…
Author: Dr. Iryna Synelnyk – External Collaborator of Institute Abstract Russian hybrid warfare has fundamentally adapted to the digital era, with the deployment of AI-enabled tools for large-scale, global disinformation campaigns. This paper focuses on the mechanisms and long-term risks associated with the pro-Russian “Pravda” network, an ecosystem of hundreds of automated news aggregators. This network strategically uses automation and translation capabilities to systematically flood the global information space with Kremlin narratives, thereby discrediting Western countries and justifying aggression in Ukraine. Particular attention is being paid to the fact that the network includes hundreds of sites, some of them targeting…
Dr. Ihor TodorovProfessor, Department of International Studies and Public Communications,Uzhhorod National University, Doctor of Historical Sciencesihor.todorov@gmail.com Abstract This article presents a comprehensive comparative study of the foreign policy strategies of the Russian Federation towards Ukraine and the Republic of Serbia towards Kosovo, combining historical-political, legal, cultural-civilizational, and information-propaganda approaches. The author demonstrates that, despite significant differences in scale and nature of actions, both states employ similar rhetorical and conceptual tools aimed at delegitimizing the sovereignty of the other side and legitimizing their own territorial claims. Historical analysis shows that both conflicts have deep post-imperial roots, are fueled by competing interpretations…
Prof. Dr. Bejtush GashiFormer Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of KosovoFormer Dean of the Faculty of Security Studiesbejtushg2002@yahoo.com Abstract:The Vidovdan myth holds a central place in Serbian political mythology and has evolved into a strategic instrument in shaping Serbia’s foreign and security policy, particularly in relation to Kosovo. This study examines how the myth is employed to legitimize Serbia’s revisionist discourse, justify interference in Kosovo’s internal affairs, and construct a permanent threat doctrine. Relying on the constructivist approach in international relations and political discourse analysis, the article argues that Vidovdan functions as an ideological mechanism with significant impact…
Dr. Christian CostamagnaUniversity of Rijeka, Center for Advanced Studies Southeast Europe The myth of Vidovdan offers a compelling point of reflection, but it is important to recognize that this symbolic day within the construction of Serbian identity has been employed in highly diverse and often irreconcilable ways. Consider, for example, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo on Vidovdan in 1914, Milošević’s Gazimestan speech on 28 June 1989, his extradition to The Hague Tribunal on the same date in 2001, and more recently, the anti-government protests held in Belgrade on 28 June 2025. From a historical perspective, it is…
Author: Dr. Iryna Synelnyk – Journalist and Researcher The hybrid war that Russia has waged against European countries involves various methods, but the main strategy is to divide societies, undermine trust in state institutions and democracy. Russia is flexible in choosing new approaches and tactics, as new technologies become tools for manipulating and influencing public opinion in different countries. One of them is popular social media such as Telegram. Serbia cooperates very closely with Russia on many issues, including imitating Russia’s hybrid warfare strategy especially against Kosovo. Therefore, it is important to analyse the leading pro-Russian and pro-Serbian Telegram channels…
Author: Dr. Iryna Synelnyk Abstract The shaping of public opinion through the spread of fake news, disinformation and manipulation is becoming a threatening trend today, especially during the elections. This paper focuses on issues of manipulation tools through social media as an attempt to provide political influence and achieve an advantage in election campaigns. This topic is covered in cases of the presidential campaign in Moldova and Romania 2024, where we have evidence of Russia’s election interference as part of a hybrid warfare which it has been gaining against the Western world. As a result, the scale of the spread…