Russia’s long economic war against Ukraine

Berlin The most hybrid war in world history began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On the one hand, soldiers are entrenched in trenches on the thousand-kilometer front, some of the military equipment dates back to the 1970s, and on the other hand, combat drones from the 21st century are used.

At the same time, the war is also spreading to cyberspace or the economy, where the Kremlin is trying to blackmail the world with shortages of gas or grain.

In bilateral Russian-Ukrainian relations, Moscow long ago began to use hybrid warfare methods, intensified after the 2013 Maidan revolt when pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko came to power in Kiev. But even before that, economic warfare was waged against Ukraine. Four phases are crucial:

Phase 1: From barter to gas as leverage