Source: Foreign Policy
by Michael Kimmage
“Russia’s intensifying incursions into European airspace are often described as acts of hybrid war. The implication is that while conventional war rages in Ukraine, with the Russian military directly targeting Ukrainian civilians, Russia’s war in Europe remains in a gray zone. It is psychological shadowboxing intended to degrade Europe’s motivation and resolve. But this distinction is misleading. It is better to think of the war in Ukraine as a single war, with different levels of participation. If nothing else, Russia’s airspace violations show that Moscow makes no sharp distinction between Europe and Ukraine. Analysts must abandon this distinction if they hope to understand Russia’s thinking, and European states must abandon this distinction if they hope to gain lasting advantage in the war.” (10/20/25)