the development of russian military policy and finland

24 · The Development of Russian Military Policy and Finland
threat. Cyber operations are carried out daily all over the world. Paralyzing of
societal infrastructure, electric power production, information, business,
transportation and logistics networks, and, on the other hand, the repulsion of
attacks on them are a part of modern warfare. Actual military strikes are to be
carried out simultaneously with cyber-attacks or separately to ensure that the
desired results in case the cyber-attacks and other paralyzing actions have
failed.
Before turning to Russian military organizational changes it may be prudent to
remind of the four stages of armed conflict defined in Russia’s military doctrine
adopted in 2010, i.e. armed conflict, local war, regional war and largescale
war. 90
3.2 Shift of the Centre of Gravity in the Western Direction
Russia’s new territorial defence structure, the so called Operational-Strategic
Commands (Oбъединённое стратегическое командованиe) and their respective
command and control systems, came into force on December 1,
2010. These four new commands replaced the former six military districts. All
other forces belonging to the so called power ministries would be subordinated
to these commands, at least in times of crisis. The forces of the former
Leningrad and Moscow military districts, the Northern and Baltic Fleets (with
the exception of strategic missile-carrying submarines), and the 1 st Air Force
and Air Defence Command (1 Командование ВВС и ПВО) are subordinated
to the Joint Western Command (Western Military District). Its headquarters
is located in St. Petersburg. 91
The new command structure was already tested in the large-scale military exercises
in 2009. The different services are still in charge of developing training
and improving war materiel. The Naval headquarters moved from Moscow to
St. Petersburg in October 2012. 92
90 The School of Russian and Asian Studies, SRAS, 20 February 2010, The Military Doctrine of
the Russian Federation approved by Russian Federation Presidential Edict on 5 February, 2010
[http://www.sras.org/military_doctrine_russian_federation_2010].
91 Pravo.ru, 21 September 2010, “В России останется только 4 военных округа - Указ
Президента” [http://www.pravo.ru/news/view/38561]. Указ №1144 “О военноадминистративном
делении Российской Федерации” is found here; See also homepage
of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation (Министерстерство обороны
Российской Федерации) [http://www.mil.ru/index.htm or http://eng.mil.ru/] and Giles,
2012, p. 12. A brief summary of the thinking behind introduction of OSKs and how they
are to be activated are given.
92 ITAR-TASS News Agency, 31 October 2012, “Russian Naval Headquarters Moves to Petersburg”
[http://www.itar-tass.com/en/c154/560174.html].