Svenska Yle | Hybrid influence is difficult to pin down – but affects the whole of society
A vessel moving through open water. Credit: Federico Weyland, iStock
In a recent interview with Svenska Yle, also streamed on Yle Areena, Risk Intelligence’s defence analyst Robin Häggblom shared his insights on the challenges of identifying hybrid influence and its impact on democratic societies.
Published on 5 September 2025, the article highlights defence analyst Robin Häggblom’s insights on hybrid influence and operations. Häggblom describes hybrid operations as anything that is neither direct acts of war nor normal diplomacy, emphasising that you don’t know for sure when such activities are taking place. He cites the cargo ship HAV Dolphin, which arrived in Vaasa, noting that although authorities found no evidence of hybrid activity, drones are small enough to be hidden and ships of this type have quite a few nooks and crannies. He points out that the ship’s movements around NATO exercises are noteworthy and that vessels with Russian connections regularly operate in the Baltic Sea, though most movements go unnoticed.
Häggblom also notes that hybrid operations affect individual freedoms, as democratic societies must consider potential risks and pressures when making decisions, which in turn affects the free choices people should have the right to make. He stresses the importance of source criticism, encouraging people to ask why certain information provokes strong reactions and whether anything might have been omitted to trigger stronger emotions.
Read the complete article on Yle or watch the broadcast on Yle Areena.
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