Russian military aggression against Ukraine in 2014 took place in the situation
of autocratic decision-making, to be more precise, this military and political
decision was made by one person, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.
All procedures and documents legitimizing this decision were adopted post
factum in retrospect. Those Russian strategic documents that were in force
at the moment of occupying Ukrainian territories did not allow for possible
violations of territorial integrity of neighbouring states in order to resolve the
problems of the state’s own security. However, after the illegal annexation of
Crimea, followed by negative international reaction to this act of aggression
Russian strategic documents were reconsidered. So, for example, among other
things influence aspects of Russian security institutes in order to eliminate the
threats posed to the Russian state on the sovereign territory of foreign states
were included into them or made actual.
They were shaped the discourses of “besieged fortress” and “national traitors”
(“fifth column”), with their main mission to create and maintain in the public
conscience the emotional atmosphere of foreign threat and no-alternative
necessity to reach a total mobilization of civil and political loyalty in order to
survive “in the hostile world”.
The main steps taken to strengthen the security of the Russian state included
reinforced counteractions to the threats to the ruling regime coming from
Russian society (more control over social and public sphere), forming the
National Guards service as an institute of increased level of loyalty to the
President of the Russian Federation, growing military contingent (the
Southern Military District) at the borders with Ukraine and hosting large-scale
military manoeuvres in the Russian regions neighbouring NATO member
states. Basic changes in its foreign and security policies did not take place,
as both foreign and security policies of the Russian state are mostly aimed at,
first and foremost, maintaining the stability and security of the ruling regime