Intelligence in Contemporary Warfare

di Cristina Di Silvio

Ethical, Legal and Strategic Perspectives on the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict

Abstract: The conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine represents one of the most significant laboratories of contemporary warfare, characterized by the integration of conventional operations, intelligence, digital technologies, autonomous systems and attacks on critical infrastructure. The recent restructuring of Ukraine’s intelligence leadership provides an opportunity to reflect on the increasingly central role of intelligence activities in safeguarding national security and international stability. Through an interdisciplinary approach combining political philosophy, public ethics, international humanitarian law and strategic studies, this article examines how the informational dimension is reshaping the relationship between security, state responsibility, civilian protection and the moral limits of military action. The analysis highlights the need to develop a new ethics of security capable of addressing the challenges posed by technological innovation and the growing complexity of twenty-first-century conflicts.

Keywords: #Intelligence #NationalSecurity #ContemporaryWarfare #InternationalLaw #Ethics #Cybersecurity #OSINT #HybridWarfare #Strategy #RussoUkrainianConflict #CristinaDiSilvio #EthicaSocietas #EthicaSocietasReview #ScientificJournal #SocialSciences #ethicasocietasupli

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Introduction

The war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine has profoundly transformed the traditional categories through which armed conflicts are understood. Alongside ground operations and conventional bombardments, intelligence, electronic warfare, unmanned systems, information gathering, sabotage operations and the protection of critical infrastructure have become decisive components of modern warfare.

Contemporary war is no longer fought exclusively on the battlefield. It now encompasses energy networks, communications, logistics and information systems, fundamentally reshaping the very concept of national security. Within this context, the recent restructuring of Ukraine’s intelligence apparatus illustrates the growing strategic importance of intelligence organizations in the management of modern conflict.

Intelligence is no longer merely a support function for military operations. It has become an essential component of state decision-making, threat prevention and cooperation with international allies.

Intelligence and National Security

In contemporary democracies, intelligence services perform functions that extend far beyond the collection of classified information. They contribute to strategic risk assessment, the countering of hybrid threats, the prevention of attacks against critical infrastructure and the support of political and military decision-making.

The Russo-Ukrainian conflict clearly illustrates this evolution. The use of satellite surveillance systems, drones, geospatial imagery, Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and international intelligence-sharing demonstrates that information superiority has become as decisive as conventional military capabilities.

Timely access to intelligence enables states to anticipate an adversary’s actions, protect civilian populations and improve the effectiveness of defensive operations by reducing the uncertainty that characterizes every armed conflict.

The Ethical Implications of Technological Warfare

The technological evolution of warfare raises unprecedented ethical questions. The use of drones, autonomous systems and long-range strike capabilities reduces the direct exposure of combatants while simultaneously increasing the risk of involving civilian infrastructure and populations.

Michael Walzer’s Just War Theory continues to provide essential criteria for evaluating the moral legitimacy of the use of force, emphasizing the principles of proportionality, necessity and the distinction between military objectives and civilian targets.

At the same time, Hans Jonas’s Principle of Responsibility calls for careful consideration of the long-term consequences of technological innovation. Scientific progress cannot be assessed solely in terms of operational effectiveness; it must also be accompanied by an increasing sense of responsibility toward future generations, peace and international stability.

International Law and the Protection of Civilians

International humanitarian law remains the primary legal framework governing armed conflict. The 1949 Geneva Conventions and their 1977 Additional Protocols require states to distinguish between military and civilian objectives, limiting the use of force according to the principles of necessity and proportionality.

The increasing number of attacks against energy infrastructure, logistics networks and communication systems, however, highlights the practical difficulties involved in applying these principles to contemporary warfare. The growing interdependence between civilian and military infrastructure makes it increasingly difficult to determine legitimate military targets while heightening the risk of indirect humanitarian consequences.

This evolution requires a continuous reassessment of the interpretation of international legal norms so that they may continue to fulfill their protective function even in technologically advanced conflicts.

Information Warfare and Emerging Threats

The Russo-Ukrainian conflict demonstrates that the informational dimension has become a genuine operational domain.

Disinformation, propaganda, manipulation of public perception, influence operations and cyberattacks have become strategic instruments capable of profoundly affecting state stability, public confidence in democratic institutions and social cohesion.

Twenty-first-century security therefore requires a multidimensional approach in which military defense is integrated with the protection of cyberspace, critical infrastructure, institutional resilience and the integrity of democratic public discourse.

Towards a New Ethics of Security

The transformation of warfare requires a fundamental rethinking of the very concept of security.

Security can no longer be understood solely as territorial defense. It must also encompass the resilience of democratic institutions, the protection of critical infrastructure, energy security, cybersecurity and the capacity to ensure the continuity of essential public services.

Within this framework, intelligence assumes not only an operational but also an institutional role, contributing to conflict prevention, crisis management and the protection of the international legal order.

A modern security policy therefore requires an appropriate balance between operational effectiveness, democratic transparency, parliamentary oversight and respect for fundamental rights, ensuring that the legitimate need for security does not lead to the unnecessary restriction of individual freedoms.

Concluding Remarks

The Russo-Ukrainian conflict confirms that twenty-first-century warfare is characterized by an increasing integration of military, technological and informational dimensions.

Intelligence has become a structural component of national security, while technological innovation is profoundly transforming the conduct of hostilities and reshaping the relationship between states, societies and citizens.

In the face of these transformations, ethical and legal reflection becomes indispensable. The search for an appropriate balance between operational effectiveness, the protection of fundamental rights and compliance with international law represents one of the greatest challenges facing contemporary democracies.

Understanding the wars of the future therefore requires understanding the strategic value of information, technology and political responsibility. In this context, intelligence is no longer merely an operational instrument; it has become an essential component of security governance and of the defense of the international legal order.

Essential Bibliography

International Committee of the Red Cross. Geneva Conventions of 1949 and Additional Protocols.

Jonas, H. (1990). The Imperative of Responsibility. Einaudi.

Kaldor, M. (2012). New and Old Wars: Organized Violence in a Global Era. Stanford University Press.

Rid, T. (2020). Active Measures: The Secret History of Disinformation and Political Warfare. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Schmitt, M. N. (Ed.). (2017). Tallinn Manual 2.0 on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Operations. Cambridge University Press.

Singer, P. W. (2009). Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the Twenty-First Century. Penguin Press.

United Nations. (1945). Charter of the United Nations.

Walzer, M. (1977). Just and Unjust Wars. Basic Books.