Damaged undersea power cables, arson attacks, gas shortages, cyber hacking and election interference might appear to have little in common other than their disruptive effects on targeted societies. However, the United States of America and its allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are alleging that a spate of recent incidents points to so-called ‘hybrid warfare’ tactics by Russia to unsettle the West. On at least some occasions, the West has also accused China of being complicit in these attacks. Russia and China, on their part, have accused the West of adopting some of these very same tactics against them. These allegations and counter-allegations are no doubt in part an exercise of propaganda tools by sworn geopolitical rivals. Yet, they also underscore the very real threat that hybrid warfare — essentially unconventional, non-military tactics used to weaken or destabilise the enemy — poses in a tense global landscape. In December, after a Baltic Sea cable connecting Finland and Estonia was damaged, authorities in those nations pointed fingers at a Russia-linked ship. A Chinese ship was blamed after a similar incident in November. In April, the United Kingdom accused Russia of involvement in an arson attack in London. Moldova has accused Russia of cutting gas supplies to pressure it as it seeks European Union membership. Romania annulled its presidential election in December alleging that Russia had influenced its outcome. And the US last week accused a Chinese group of hacking into its treasury department.

To be clear, this is no one-way street. Moscow has accused the US and its allies of bombing the Nord Stream pipelines that were the lifelines of Russian gas supplies to Europe. The US has a long history of attempting to influence elections in other countries, or sponsoring coups against unfriendly governments. And China accused the US of hacking into its infrastructure, also in December. As these charges fly back and forth between east and west, India must take note. From Pakistan’s sponsorship of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and beyond to reports suggesting that Chinese malware temporarily disrupted power supply in Mumbai in 2020 — India had denied this claim — New Delhi is no stranger to hybrid warfare. But as technology rapidly reshapes what the frontline of this battle looks like, India must stay nimble, developing both offensive and defensive capabilities to protect its growing economy. Future wars will look very different from past ones. India must be ready.