Czech soldiers, alongside NATO allies, completed a psychological warfare exercise simulating an invasion of Poland, aimed at countering Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics.
The Powerful Word 2024 military exercises running from October 3-11, focused on psychological warfare, with nearly 250 soldiers from the Czech Republic, the U.S., Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, the U.K., and Belgium.
The exercise simulated an invasion of Poland by the fictional country “Matador,” a clear stand-in for Russia, focusing on countering both military aggression and disinformation, the Czech daily newspaper Lidovky said.
In a key scenario, NATO commandos used sound-based deception to confuse a fictional militia supporting the invaders. While the enemy was distracted by fake sounds of an approaching force, NATO troops launched an attack using stun grenades and sound weapons to neutralize them.
The commander of the Czech 91st Information Warfare Group, Ivo Zelinka, said psychological operations are increasingly important in modern conflict.
He said: “The war is lost in the mind. First, the group must admit that they have lost, or they will fight to the last bullet. Our goal is to achieve this effect as soon as possible.”
The simulation also focused on how propaganda influences conflicts. Zelinka pointed to the war in Ukraine, where Russian-backed separatists used disinformation about alleged genocides to justify military action.
According to a survey conducted by the Chech Republic’s Institute for Empirical Research, 5% of Czechs support Russia, while another 15% are vulnerable to disinformation.
Exercises like these are part of broader efforts to defend against Russia's hybrid tactics, which aim to manipulate public opinion and weaken Western alliances, Lidovky said.
The exercise simulated an invasion of Poland by the fictional country “Matador,” a clear stand-in for Russia, focusing on countering both military aggression and disinformation, the Czech daily newspaper Lidovky said.
In a key scenario, NATO commandos used sound-based deception to confuse a fictional militia supporting the invaders. While the enemy was distracted by fake sounds of an approaching force, NATO troops launched an attack using stun grenades and sound weapons to neutralize them.
The commander of the Czech 91st Information Warfare Group, Ivo Zelinka, said psychological operations are increasingly important in modern conflict.
He said: “The war is lost in the mind. First, the group must admit that they have lost, or they will fight to the last bullet. Our goal is to achieve this effect as soon as possible.”
The simulation also focused on how propaganda influences conflicts. Zelinka pointed to the war in Ukraine, where Russian-backed separatists used disinformation about alleged genocides to justify military action.
According to a survey conducted by the Chech Republic’s Institute for Empirical Research, 5% of Czechs support Russia, while another 15% are vulnerable to disinformation.
Exercises like these are part of broader efforts to defend against Russia's hybrid tactics, which aim to manipulate public opinion and weaken Western alliances, Lidovky said.
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