Intelligence in the time of war: Romanian lenses on changing practices and social dynamics

ABSTRACT

Crucial in any military conflict, information warfare has proved to be a distinguishing characteristic and an essential strategic means in the Russo-Ukrainian War. Both sides have invested in advancing narratives that can facilitate and support their version of truth and that can make a difference in winning the war. Publishing open source and declassified intelligence has been employed as a tactic in an unprecedented way, one that has stimulated an intense debate over the reconceptualisation of intelligence and the new role intelligence needs to play in a larger social context. Due to its novelty and potential, this major shift requires further attention. Additionally, its meanings and reflections deserve deciphering in other national contexts that are relevant for understanding the role of intelligence in the Russo-Ukrainian war. The paper looks at the particular case of Romania, whose relevance is determined mostly by its geographical proximity to the conflict area. By using qualitative research, it aims to investigate the perceptions of two types of respondents: Romanian experts in intelligence, security and strategic communication, and students taking intelligence and security-related study programmes.

KEYWORDS:

• Public intelligence
• OSINT
• strategic communication
• Ukraine
• narratives

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Zegart, 2023.

2. Warner, 2014.

3. Williams, 2023.

4. Dobell, 2022.

5. For the complete list of tropes and references, see the Appendix.

6. Mazurenko, 2023.

7. Balforth, 2023.

8. Segura, 2023; Ibid.

9. Who is Kyrylo Budanov, 2021.

10. Kyrylo Budanov, 2021.

11. Spymaster | Ukraine, 2023.

12. Voice of Ukraine, 2023.

13. Underwater production, 2023.

14. For connoisseurs.

15. Ibid.

16. Tokariuk, 2023.

17. Ibid., 32.

18. Although originally used by Michell Orenstein (2019) to designate the Central and Eastern Europe countries that have not joined the European Union and NATO and are hence very permeable to Russian influence, the concept proves to be very useful for the argumentation line of this article, for two reasons. First as it emphasizes the vulnerable position of countries which are in the geographical proximity of Russia. Secondly, because the status of EU and NATO member state does not exclude by default the impact that historical affinities and geopolitical conditionalities exert on raising Romania`s permeability to Russian hybrid threats.

19. Orenstein, 2019, 120.

20. Ibid.

21. Refugiații din Ucraina, 2023.

22. Ibid.

23. Discursul public, 2023.

24. Serviciul de informații al Apărării, 2024.

25. Spioni ucraineni cu legături, 2023.

26. Războiul memelor, 2022.

27. Creswell, 2015.

28. Professor PhD Alina Bârgăoanu – Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Public Relations of Școala Națională de Studii Politice și Administrative in Bucharest and member of the Commission Expert Group on Tackling Disinformation and Promoting Digital Literacy Through Education.

29. Silviu Nate – Associate Professor PhD at Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu and Director of the Global Studies Center Sibiu.

30. From the Public Diplomacy and Strategic Communication Directorate, respectively from the Euro-Atlantic Center for Resilience.

31. Burns, 2024.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Irena Chiru

Irena Chiru is a professor of intelligence studies and the director of Doctoral Studies in Intelligence and National Security at ‘Mihai Viteazul’ National Intelligence Academy, Romania. She holds a PhD in sociology from the University of Bucharest where she researched Romania’s representations in foreign media. Currently she serves as the chair of the International Association for Intelligence Education – European Chapter. Over the past 20 years she has specialized in intelligence analysis, critical intelligence studies and building resilience against propaganda and disinformation. She has actively taken part in international research teams conducting research projects dedicated to security and intelligence, e.g., Evolving security science through Networked Technologies, Information Policy and Law - ESSENTIAL – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks European Joint Doctorate (2014–2020), Mind the gap in media CoveRagE and Strategic Communication in CasE of security Threats - CRESCEnt, ERASMUS+ (2018–2021), The Empowering a Pan-European Network to Counter Hybrid Threats – EU-HYBNET, Horizon 2020 (2019–2024). Her latest contributions are: ‘Diversity in Intelligence: Organizations, Processes, and People’ (International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, 2022), ‘Building Ecosystems of Intelligence Education: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly’, Rubén Arcos, Nicole K. Drumhiller, and Mark Phythian (Eds.) The Academic-Practitioner Divide in Intelligence Studies Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, MD, 2022), ‘Routledge Handbook of Disinformation and National Security’ (co-editor, Routledge, 2023).

Cristina Ivan

Cristina Ivan is Director of the National Institute for Intelligence Studies, ‘Mihai Viteazul’ National Intelligence Academy in Romania and a researcher in security and intelligence studies. She holds a PhD in cultural studies. She also has worked as an intelligence analyst. Over the past 15 years she has specialized in the cultural study of violence, radicalization and terrorism, propaganda and disinformation, critical intelligence studies, etc. She has taken an active part in European funded projects targeting an enhanced understanding and early detection of radicalization, propaganda, disinformation, as well as designing both preventive and countering interventions. Research projects include: A radical model of resilience for young minds – ARMOUR (2019–2021); Semantic Analysis against Foreign Fighters Recruitment Online networks – SAFFRON (2016–2018); Culture and Risk Management in Man-made and Natural Disasters, CARISMAND (2016–2018); Mind the Gap in media coverage and strategic communication in case of security threats – CRESCEnt (2019–2021); Empowering a Pan-European Network to Counter Hybrid Threats – EU-HYBNET, 2020–2025. Her latest contributions are: ‘A whole of society intelligence approach: critical reassessment of the tools and means used to counter information warfare in the digital age’ (Intelligence and National Security, 2021), ‘Critical intelligence studies: introduction to the special issue’ (Intelligence and National Security, 2021), ‘Diversity in Intelligence: Organizations, Processes, and People’ (International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, 2022), ‘Routledge Handbook of Disinformation and National Security’ (co-editor, Routledge, 2024).