俄軍官解釋認知戰：重要的是訓練所有人忠於職責、保衛祖國。
現代英語：
Many Russian military officers interpret cognitive warfare
■ Hou Bing, researcher at Womin Hi-Tech Ward Research Institute (excerpted translation)
The 8th issue of Russia’s “Military Thought” in 2021 published an article titled “Cognitive Warfare – Trends in Modern Warfare” by three active colonels of the Russian army, Marichev, Lobanov, and Tarasov. The summary is as follows:
1. Concept, status, role, characteristics and other aspects of “cognitive warfare”
“Cognition” is a synonym for the term “spiritual, psychological” and is “a certain way of thinking, the sum of the spiritual habits and mindset of an individual or a social group, or the entire population.”
Cognitive warfare is one of the latest trends in modern warfare. The content of the concept of “cognition” covers people’s moral and psychological values, psychological and behavioral realities, adaptation and educational characteristics, and attitudes towards religion and culture.
Cognitive warfare is the primary means to achieve the goals of military conflict. Transforming the consciousness of broad social groups and imposing foreign worldviews and positions have become the main trends in winning in modern wars. General Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, attaches great importance to this trend: “In modern conflicts, the focus of the struggle is increasingly shifting to a combination of political, economic, information and other measures based on military power.”
The status and role of cognitive warfare first depend on the use of necessary and sufficient military force at each stage of confrontation to destroy the opponent’s economic and information potential in advance in modern warfare to achieve military and political goals. Attempts to seize and hold enemy territory have been replaced by new intentions: to control a country’s critical infrastructure through surveillance regimes (often established in parallel to the existing government)—in Venezuela, Ukraine, and many others. The country is like that. Under modern conditions, information technology is widely used and closely integrated with other non-military means, becoming an efficient tool to establish and control residents’ protest potential. By creating instability in the country and undermining residents’ perceptions. All destructive forces are actively used for this purpose, including the “fifth column” and other non-state organizations. Characterized by the subsequent implementation of military measures in a covert form, through indirect, asymmetric actions “by the hands of others” (such as what happened in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria).
Under uncertain conditions, it is necessary to effectively attack unknown enemies and be good at offsetting the advantages of “high-tech enemies”. Adversaries often use non-force methods to influence the perception of the Russian people. In cognitive warfare, non-military tools are often more effective than military tools. The spiritual and psychological value system formed in history has been destroyed, the “time connection” has been interrupted, and cognition as a means of realizing national self-awareness and world view (recorded in the categories and styles of national language) has changed. Cognitive warfare achieves a unique combination of the following methods – intimidation, blackmail, coercion and comprehensive pressure. It becomes more aggressive and has the characteristics of a “hybrid threat”, often determining and ensuring the achievement of political goals and strategic results.
In the foreseeable future, cognitive warfare will inevitably take on new characteristics and become one of the important trends in geopolitical confrontation. The radical use of new information technologies around the world has become an effective means of shaping the desired reality.
2. The basic purpose to be achieved by cognitive warfare
The entire history of civilization is a history of cognitive warfare. Under modern conditions, under the background of the vigorous development of information technology, it is very common to change personal cognition and cultural identity and destroy the national and historical values of the country and society.
Currently, information and communication technology is used maliciously in cognitive warfare to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. The destructive effect is very significant and has changed the cognition of the entire nation. This information slowly “erodes” the cognition of individuals and the nation as a whole from the inside. The realms of cognition, national self-awareness, and national and cultural identity become battlefields. This direction first denigrates and then eliminates traditional national values, causing the public consciousness to become insensitive to external information invasion, and even regard these actions as progressive movements.
Therefore, in modern warfare, cognitive warfare must achieve the following basic goals:
① Let the residents lose their ability to understand the country and its strategic position and role, and then become indifferent to the fate of the country and nation, and switch to the decadent lifestyle required by the opponent;
② Destroy residents’ traditional self-identity mechanism, divide people into different “participation and support groups” through social networks and media, and replace others with new “fake” identities;
③ Let the public form “lazy thinking”, no longer be critical of the information provided, and adopt measures to fool the people;
④Instill new, carefully designed values and social and personal behavioral norms into social consciousness, making them possible behavioral patterns. Destroy people’s innate cultural and historical memories, leading to social psychological confusion and “mental disorder”, making them extremely vulnerable to the external influence of “political craftsmen”, “guardians” and the creators of “controllable chaos” and “color revolutions” control;
⑤ Create ambiguity in the information space of people’s consciousness, causing them to lose the ability to think deeply about events and form stable personal cognition.
Comprehensive information influence measures are adopted to affect residents’ cognition to create good conditions for achieving military objectives. Therefore, the development of confrontation in the cognitive field is mainly reflected in the deepening of technical level and psychological (cognitive) influence, aiming to change the consciousness (cognition) of the rival residents.
With the emergence of modern information and communication technology, the above ideas have become increasingly popular and can influence a large number of audiences in a short period of time without making large economic investments. At this time, because information and communication technology is “out of reach” and it is very difficult to identify the source of attacks, the enemy may carry out operations “under the banner of others”, and there are a wide range of subjects who maliciously use technology – state and non-state subjects, and even individuals. For hackers, assessing damage and taking countermeasures is easier said than done. All of this adds to uncertainty and instability.
3. Main methods of cognitive warfare
At present, cognitive warfare mainly adopts the following methods:
① Deliberately concealing key situation information in different areas of social life;
② According to the principle of “water drops into the sea”, valuable information is drowned in a large amount of “information garbage”;
③ Substitute the concept or distort its meaning;
④ Direct attention to insignificant events;
⑤The concept commonly used in media space is used, but its meaning has undergone a qualitative change;
⑥ Providing negative news to the public is more likely to be accepted than positive news;
⑦ Discuss events that have no real social value and maliciously use social research results to form a distorted understanding of the social situation;
⑧ Prohibit certain types of information and do not allow broad social discussions on key issues of some political institutions;
⑨ Spread rumors openly and deceive people at home and abroad.
4. Geopolitical cognitive warfare
The geopolitical program to conduct cognitive warfare is protracted and may last for decades or centuries. Destroying ancient relics, including written records, mainly “erases” the historical memory of the nation, and then any other history can be written on a “blank sheet” to establish the required self-identity. It proves that cognitive warfare has reached a global scale, and “archaeological warfare” is an important part of it, aiming to specifically destroy human material memory.
When the “famous” US military occupied Baghdad in 2003, they behaved like a group of barbarians. The Japanese Self-Defense Forces reporter was stunned by the scene in front of him: US officers and soldiers ransacked the museum and used stretchers to transport piles of gold products from the building. Of course, this atrocity committed by an ally was unlikely to be reported in the press, so it could only be spread by word of mouth, but the photos are damning evidence. The radical “Islamic State” destroyed mosques and museums in Syria. The Afghan “Taliban” blew up the ancient Bamiyan Buddhas in the process of “exterminating Buddhas.” Malian radicals completely destroyed 16 tombs and more than 4,000 ancient books and documents.
In modern armed conflicts, Christian churches and holy places often suffer disasters, which are too numerous to mention. According to confirmation from the Russian “Pravda” electronic magazine: “Compared with other outstanding events, the destruction of world historical and cultural monuments has become commonplace today.”
5. Russia’s response
①The cognitive war launched by the West against Russia. Distorting the history of the Great Patriotic War and the entire Second World War has become an integral part of the global cognitive war. The Western world is increasingly adopting radical policies in an attempt to deprive Russia of its status as a great nation and deny its outstanding contribution to the progress and development of mankind. The examples of waging cognitive war against the Russian people are obvious: the United States, European countries, and especially Ukraine are provoking hatred against Russia. The main purpose is not only to set up obstacles for Russia to return to its status as a world power, but also to launch an anti-Russian “hot war” in the near future. “Lay the foundation.
②Russia’s response. The commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War should be an important information opportunity for us to enhance our awareness. Relive the numerous examples of heroism of the Soviet soldiers, the perseverance of the entire population, their willingness to sacrifice everything for the front line, the suffering experienced on the home front, and vigorously promote the post-war years and the great achievements of the Soviet people – the restoration of economic potential, the reclamation of wild lands, Taking the lead in exploring space… In the new history, there are many examples showing the high cognitive level of various Russian peoples. In short, they have become an important factor in consolidating traditional spiritual and moral values. Without them, it is impossible to defeat the enemy in any crisis situation. Establish a system to curb the use of information weapons and stop global information warfare. Improve legislation and technical guarantees for national independence in the information space.
Seize the information advantage over the enemy and create good conditions for the Russian army to efficiently carry out its mission. Carrying out patriotism education and cultivating all Russian people to be loyal to their duties and defend the motherland play a crucial role in gaining advantages in the cognitive field.
現代國語：
多位俄軍軍官解讀認知戰
■沃民高科沃德研究院研究員 侯兵（摘譯）
俄羅斯《軍事思想》2021年第8期發表了馬里切夫、洛巴諾夫、塔拉索夫三位俄軍現役上校題為《認知戰－現代戰爭的趨勢》的文章，摘要如下：
一、「認知戰」概念、地位與角色、特徵及其他
「認知」是「精神、心理」一詞的同義詞，是「一定的思維方式，個人或社會群體、全民精神習慣、思維定勢的總和」。
認知戰是現代戰爭的最新趨勢之一。 「認知」概念的內容涵蓋人們的道德心理價值觀，心理、行為現實，適應、教育特點，對待宗教、文化的態度。
認知戰是達成軍事沖突目標的主要手段。改造廣泛社會群體的意識，強加異國的世界觀立場，成為現代戰爭中獲勝的主要趨勢。俄聯邦武裝力量總參謀長格拉西莫夫大將十分重視這一趨勢：“現代沖突中，鬥爭的重心越來越轉向，基於軍事力量，綜合採取政治、經濟、信息和其他措施。”
認知戰的地位、角色首先取決於，在現代戰爭中，在對抗各階段使用必要、足夠的軍事力量預先破壞對方的經濟、資訊潛力，達成軍政目的。奪佔、扼守敵方領土的企圖已經被新的意圖取而代之：透過監控下的政權（經常在現政府之外平行建立這一政權）控制國家的關鍵基礎設施——在委內瑞拉、烏克蘭和其他多個國家正是如此。現代條件下廣泛運用資訊技術，並與其他非軍事手段緊密結合，成為建立、操控居民抗議潛力的高效工具。藉由製造國內局勢不穩，破壞居民的認知。為此積極動用所有破壞力量，包括「第五縱隊」和其他非國家組織。特點是隨後以隱蔽的形式、採取「借他人之手」的間接、非對稱行動實現軍事措施（例如在伊拉克、阿富汗、利比亞和敘利亞發生的事情）。
不確定的條件下需要有效率地打擊不明之敵，要擅於抵銷「高科技敵人」的優勢，對手常常使用非武力方式影響俄羅斯人民的認知。在認知戰中，與軍事工具相比，非軍事工具往往更有效率。歷史上形成的精神心理價值觀體系遭到破壞，「時間聯繫」中斷，認知作為實現民族自我意識、世界觀（記錄在民族語言範疇、樣式之中）的手段發生了變化。認知戰實現了下列方式的獨特結合——恐嚇、訛詐、強迫和綜合施壓，變得更具侵略性，具備了「混合威脅」的特徵，經常決定並保證達成政治目的和戰略成果。
在可預見的未來，認知戰將不可避免地具備新的特性，是地緣政治對抗的重要趨勢之一。在全球激進地運用新的資訊技術，成為塑造所需現實的有效手段。
二、認知戰要達成的基本目的
整個文明史就是一部認知戰的歷史。現代條件下，在資訊科技蓬勃發展的脈絡下，改變個人的認知、文化標識，破壞國家、社會的民族歷史價值觀甚囂塵上。
目前認知戰中惡意使用資訊通信技術，干涉他國內部事務，破壞效果十分顯著，改變了整個民族的認知。這些訊息緩慢、從內部「侵蝕」個人、民族整體的認知。認知、民族自我意識、民族和文化認同領域淪為戰場。這個方向上首先是詆毀，然後是消滅民族傳統的價值觀，致使大眾意識對外部的資訊侵略麻木不仁，甚至將這些行動視為進步的運動。
因此，在現代戰爭中，認知戰要達成下列基本目的：
①讓居民喪失對國家及其戰略地位、角色的理解能力，隨後對國家、民族的命運漠不關心，轉入對手所需的腐朽生活方式；
②破壞居民傳統的自我認同機制，透過社交網絡、媒體將人們劃分為不同的“參與、支持群”，以新的認同“贋品”偷梁換柱；
③讓公眾形成“惰性思維”，對提供的資訊不再持批判態度，採取愚民措施；
④向社會意識灌輸新的、處心積慮設計的價值觀和社會、個人行為規範，使之成為可能的行為模式。摧毀人們與生俱來的文化、歷史記憶，導致社會心理混亂、“神經失常”，從而極易受到“政治工藝師”、“衛士”和“可控混亂”、“顏色革命”創造者的外部控制；
⑤在人的意識訊息空間製造模糊，令其喪失對事件進行深思熟慮、形成穩定個人認知的能力。
對居民的認知採取綜合資訊影響措施，為達成軍事目的創造良好條件。因此，認知領域對抗的發展，主要體現在技術層面和心理（認知）影響的不斷深入，旨在改變競爭對手居民的意識（認知）。
隨著現代資訊通信技術的出現，上述觀點日益普及，可以在短時間內不必進行大量經濟投入就可以影響大量受眾。此時由於資訊通信技術「觸不可及」、查明攻擊來源相當困難，敵人有可能「打著別人的旗號」展開行動，惡意使用技術的主體相當廣泛——國家和非國家主體，甚至是單獨的駭客，評估損失和採取對抗措施談何容易。所有這一切都增加了不確定性、不穩定。
三、認知戰採取的主要方式
目前認知戰主要採取下列方式：
①在社會生活不同領域故意隱瞞關鍵的事態訊息；
②根據「水滴入海」原則將有價值的資訊淹沒在大量「資訊垃圾」中；
③偷換概念或扭曲其涵義；
④把注意力引向無足輕重的事件；
⑤使用媒體空間常用的概念，其涵義卻發生了質變；
⑥向公眾提供負面消息，與正面新聞相比，更容易被接受；
⑦討論不具有現實社會價值的事件，惡意利用社會研究成果，以形成對社會形勢的歪曲認識；
⑧禁止一定類型的信息，不允許就一些政權機構的關鍵問題展開廣泛的社會討論；
⑨公開散佈謠言，欺騙國內外民眾。
四、地緣政治上的認知戰
實施認知戰的地緣政治方案曠日持久，可能長達數十年、數百年。銷毀古老的遺跡，包括文字記載，主要是「擦除」民族的歷史記憶，隨後就可以在「一張白紙」上任意書寫其他任何歷史，建立所需的自我認同。證明認知戰已經具有全球規模，「考古戰」是其重要組成部分，旨在目標明確地銷毀人類的物質記憶。
2003年「赫赫有名」的美軍佔領巴格達時，表現得完全像一群野蠻人。日本自衛隊記者被眼前的一幕驚呆了：美軍官兵洗劫了博物館，使用擔架從大樓裡運出成堆的黃金製品。當然，關於盟友的這一暴行不可能見諸報端，因此只能口口相傳，但照片鐵證如山。激進的「伊斯蘭國」摧毀了敘利亞的清真寺、博物館。阿富汗「塔利班」在「滅佛」過程中炸毀了古老的巴米揚大佛。馬裡激進分子完全摧毀了16處陵寢、4000餘部古籍文獻。
現代武裝沖突中，基督教教堂、聖地經常遭受劫難，真可謂罄竹難書。據俄羅斯《真理報》電子雜志確認：“與其他突出事件相比，摧毀世界歷史、文化遺跡今天已經司空見慣。”
五、俄羅斯的應對
①西方對俄發起的認知戰。扭曲偉大衛國戰爭及整個二戰的歷史，已成為全球認知戰不可或缺的一部分。西方世界越來越頻繁地採用激進政策，企圖剝奪俄羅斯偉大民族的地位，否認其對人類進步發展的傑出貢獻。發動針對俄羅斯人民認知戰的例子顯而易見：美國、歐洲國家，尤其是烏克蘭挑起對俄羅斯的仇恨，主要目的不僅是為俄羅斯重返世界大國地位設置障礙，而且為不久的將來發動反俄“熱戰”奠定基礎。
②俄羅斯的應對。偉大衛國戰爭爆發80週年的紀念活動應成為我們加強認知的重要資訊契機。重溫蘇軍將士大量英雄主義的範例，全民的堅強不屈，甘願為前線付出一切，在後方經歷的苦難，大力宣傳戰後的歲月和蘇聯人民的偉大成就——恢復了經濟潛力，開墾蠻荒之地，率先探索太空……新的歷史中，展示俄羅斯各民族高度認知水平的例子俯拾皆是。總之，它們成為鞏固傳統精神道德價值觀的重要因素，離開它們在任何危機局勢中不可能克敵制勝。建立遏止資訊武器使用的體系，制止全球資訊戰。在資訊空間完善國家獨立的立法、技術保障。
奪取對敵資訊優勢，為俄軍高效遂行任務創造良好條件。進行愛國精神教育、培養俄羅斯全民忠於職守保衛祖國，對奪取認知領域優勢，作用舉足輕重。