What Is Meant by Hybrid Warfare: Definition and Focus

Hybrid warfare is a defensive? No. It is an offensive strategy in which a state subordinates the military action to the subversive action, combining political, economic, informational, and military means to achieve strategic objectives, according to the Redazione ANSA on 02/10/2026. The definition was presented as a conceptual explanation, with no reference to specific actors.

Summary: definition of hybrid warfare (keyword: hybrid warfare)

According to the ANSA report published on 02/10/2026 at 12:25, hybrid warfare involves an operational logic that prioritizes subversive measures rather than purely military ones. The journalistic piece describes the concept as a strategy in which the use of armed force is subordinate to actions aimed at politically, economically, and socially destabilizing the adversary, often through disinformation campaigns, economic pressure, and covert operations.

"Hybrid warfare: offensive strategy in which the State subordinates military action to subversive action", Redazione ANSA, 02/10/2026.

Key characteristics (keywords: offensive strategy, military action, subversive action)

The ANSA piece highlights several core traits of hybrid warfare:

• Priority to subversive action: the hybrid operation first aims to undermine the opponent's social and institutional cohesion, using political, economic, and informational tactics before or instead of a conventional attack.
• Combination of means: the strategy integrates diplomatic, cyber, economic, and influence instruments with limited or disguised military actions. It is not only about armed forces in the field, but a range of tools that together produce a strategic effect.
• Ambiguity and plausible deniability: hybrid operations often maintain a level of plausible denial, complicating attribution and international response.
• Focus on effects, not just territory: the objective tends to be achieving political and strategic outcomes (e.g., policy changes, institutional paralysis) rather than mere territorial occupation.
• Speed and adaptability: hybrid campaigns can combine rapid and phased actions, adjusting intensity and tools according to the target's response.

Practical implications and scope of application

ANSA presents the explanation as a general concept, not tied to a concrete case. In practice, analyzing a situation as a “hybrid warfare” requires assessing whether there was:

• coordination between civilian and military instruments;
• deliberate use of informational campaigns and clandestine operations;
• intent to destabilize institutions or manipulate public opinion for geopolitical purposes.

This framing is relevant for debates on international security, defense policies, and journalistic coverage of crises that mix conventional violence with subversive actions. For readers interested in how this topic appears in Italian and international media, the portal gathers updates in Notícias da Itália and analyses on context and repercussions in Vida na Itália.

Source and publication context (keyword: ANSA)

The explanation was published by Redazione ANSA on 02/10/2026 at 12:25, as an informative piece about the meaning of the term. The report did not profile specific actors nor present factual claims about concrete operations; it was a conceptual synthesis to contextualize the growing use of the concept in security and policy texts. The original Italian version was flagged by the agency as a guide explaining the term.

Readers following topics related to foreign policy, security, and migration will also find on the portal pieces related to the European context and implications for citizens abroad, such as updates on Cidadania Italiana and other Italian news in Notícias da Itália.

Conclusion The definition released by ANSA on 02/10/2026 highlights that hybrid warfare is an offensive strategy in which military action takes a secondary role to a combination of subversive, political, and informational measures aimed at undermining the adversary. The piece serves as a conceptual reference for interpreting contemporary episodes that mix military and non-military means in the international arena.

Source: ANSA