RELIGIOUS SECURITY IN THE CONTEXT OF HYBRID WARFARE: TRANSFORMATIONS OF THE DIGITAL RELIGIOUS SPACE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF RUSSIAN AGGRESSION

Abstract

B a c k g r o u n d. The article examines the specifics of ensuring the security of the religious cyberspace in the context of hybrid warfare. It emphasizes that the religious sphere has become one of the key targets of aggressive hybrid influence, as Russian aggression actively employs the religious factor as a tool of destabilization, legitimization of violence, and manipulation of public consciousness–particularly through digital platforms, social networks, and online propaganda. In the digital religious space, which unites the communicative, informational, and symbolic resources of faith communities, the roles of belief and spiritual identity are being reinterpreted. This space becomes an arena both for interfaith dialogue and enlightenment, and for the spread of disinformation and religious radicalism aimed at undermining Ukrainian statehood. Accordingly, the issue of religious security acquires strategic importance as part of national and humanitarian security.

M e t h o d s. The research employs systemic-structural, civilizational, and cultural-anthropological approaches, as well as comparative- analytical and hermeneutic methods. Among empirical methods, a survey technique was applied.

R e s u l t s. The study notes that the phenomenon of religious security has a distinct national specificity, as it is closely linked to historical experience, cultural-civilizational features, state-confessional relations, and the socio-political context of each country. As a component of national security, religious security significantly influences the formation of social identity, value orientations, and societal stability. Manifestations of religious intolerance or external influence from religious centers pose threats to civic unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. The Ukrainian context of religious security is marked by the unique situation of hybrid war, in which the religious factor is actively exploited by the aggressor to influence public consciousness, undermine trust, and destabilize the internal religious environment. The main mechanisms of such influence include the use of ecclesiastical rhetoric to justify political aggression and the dissemination of propaganda through media and religious-preaching channels.

C o n c l u s i o n s. Religious security is defined as a state of society in which freedom of conscience, religious rights, spiritual values, and the stable functioning of religious institutions are protected. It promotes equality among confessions, the integration of moral-spiritual values into public life, and the strengthening of national identity. One of the main contemporary challenges is hybrid religious warfare in the digital environment, combining ideological and technological methods of influence through social media, disinformation, and cyberattacks. In this context, religious identity becomes both an object and an instrument of manipulation. Ensuring religious security requires a combination of protective and preventive measures, as well as the development of religious studies education that fosters tolerance, analytical thinking, and religious information culture. Cooperation among the state, civil society, and religious leaders is essential for strengthening interfaith peace, spiritual security, and social resilience in Ukraine.