Alex Florența: The goal of the Russian hybrid war against Romania – weakening the state from within

Prosecutor General Alex Florența draws attention to the fact that the Russian Federation’s hybrid attacks targeting Romania are not limited to disinformation, but aim to polarize society and erode trust in institutions, ultimately with the aim of weakening the state from within.

In a statement to reporters, Florența explained that hybrid operations include several techniques — the most visible being disinformation — but also other „hostile destabilizing activities” aimed at inducing error and social tension.

“The types of hybrid attacks aim at two important elements. On the one hand, misleading the population and polarizing it on different issues, implicitly generating an area of ​​social disorder,” the prosecutor said.

He emphasized that a fragmented and tense population becomes “maneuverable” by the networks that orchestrate these operations, and the effects can culminate in excessive protests or a decrease in trust in state institutions.

“Secondly… they aim at putting enormous pressure on public order and national security institutions,” added Florența, pointing out that the combined pressure on society and institutions can lead to the weakening of the state from within — the ultimate objective of these actions. The Attorney General drew attention to the fact that, beyond the immediate effect of forgeries or manipulation campaigns, the hybrid strategy aims at medium and long-term effects: distrust, disorder and institutional incapacity. Ultimately, “the purpose of hybrid warfare… is to weaken a state from within,” concluded Alex Florența.