THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF THE STUDY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS AS A CATEGORY OF MODERN ARMED CONFLICT: ESSENCE, CLASSIFICATION, PARTICULAR QUALITIES

Abstract

Based on the experience of armed conflicts, the analysis of scientific and methodological literature and the legal framework, the article examines issues related to the theoretical foundations and practical use of information warfare tools in armed conflicts. The purpose of the article is to study and determine the essence, particular qualities and characteristics of psychological operations carried out during modern armed conflicts. Psychological operation is considered as a category of modern armed conflict, the essence, types, and particular qualities of various types of psychological operations are revealed. Psychological operation is the main element of psychological warfare. The essence of PO consists in the practical use in the conditions of armed struggle of a set of agreed, coordinated and interconnected tasks, place and time, objects and procedures of types, forms, methods and methods of psychological influence. One-time measures of psychological warfare involve short-term, targeted actions of special units or individual specialists, which differ in a certain nature and are carried out on a local scale. Psychological operations can be classified: 1) by terms of implementation (strategic, operational, tactical); 2) by the time of implementation (implemented in peacetime, implemented in wartime, implemented in peacekeeping operations); 3) by orientation (against the civilian population, against the enemy's troops, against the enemy's command, misleading the enemy, facilitating the opposition and dissident movements, carrying out cultural expansion and sabotage, consolidating psychological operations); 4) by types (conversion psychological operation, demarcation psychological operation, consolidation psychological war, psychological-propaganda operation, informational-psychological countermeasure).