Publications

KOSOVO SERBS AS POLITICAL INSTRUMENTS: HOW BELGRADE USES NATIONALISM TO MAINTAIN POWER

Author: Agim Musliu – Security Expert & Chairman of the board of Institute for Hybrid Warfare Studies “OCTOPUS” The Serbian government has consistently used Kosovo Serbs as nationalist instruments to maintain political power in Belgrade. Much like Slobodan Milošević, President Aleksandar Vučić has sacrificed the interests of Kosovo Serbs time and again for the sole

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CHAUVINISM HIDDEN BEHIND RELIGION: THE CASE OF THE CHURCH IN THE COURTYARD OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PRISHTINA

Author: Dr. Gurakuç Kuçi At the onset of the former Yugoslavia’s disintegration, the year 1989 marked a dark turning point for Kosovo. Serbia, under the leadership of Slobodan Milosevic, unilaterally revoked Kosovo’s constitutional autonomy, dismantled its institutions, and imposed an oppressive system on the Albanian majority. This institutionalized repression was part of a broader Serbian

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HOW SOCIAL MEDIA CREATES A NEW REALITY IN THE ELECTION CAMPAIGNS. EXPERIENCES FROM MOLDOVA AND ROMANIA

Author: Dr. Iryna Synelnyk Abstract The shaping of public opinion through the spread of fake news, disinformation and manipulation is becoming a threatening trend today, especially during the elections. This paper focuses on issues of manipulation tools through social media as an attempt to provide political influence and achieve an advantage in election campaigns. This

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DISMISSING AN ORCHESTRATED FEAR

Author: Dr. Arben Fetoshi & Dr. Gurakuç Kuçi Recent geopolitical developments, particularly regarding the war in Ukraine and ongoing diplomatic efforts, have triggered discussions across various regions. A recent article published by the German newspaper Bild, titled “Europe in Fear! Intelligence Agencies Fear U.S. Troop Withdrawal,” has reignited pro-Russian hostile narratives, especially in the wake

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FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN ELECTIONS AND ITS IMPACT ON DEMOCRACY AND NATIONAL SECURITY: THE CASE OF KOSOVO

Policy paper Prof. Asoc. Dr. Arben FetoshiDirector at the Institute for Studies of Hybrid Warfare OCTOPUSarben.fetoshi@octopusinstitute.org Acknowledgments:I would like to sincerely thank all my colleagues for their unwavering support during the completion of this research, with special appreciation to Gurakuç Kuçi, Senior Researcher, and Lekë Beqa, Collaborator at the Institute, for their invaluable contributions. Abstract:

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BUILDING RESILIENCE AND SECURITY: FINLAND’S LESSONS FOR KOSOVO AND THE WESTERN BALKANS

The Full Address of the Ambassador of Finland to Kosovo, H.E. Mr. Matti Nissinen, at the Roundtable “Foreign Interference in Elections and Its Impact on National Security and Democracy”, organized by the Octopus Institute on January 28, 2025, in Prishtina. Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Participants, It is a privilege to join you today and discuss

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THE DEVIL’S CELEBRATION IN THE NAME OF GOD

The ethnicization of Orthodox religion: Serbia’s nationalist strategy for destabilizing Kosovo Author: Dr. Arben Fetoshi & Dr. Gurakuç Kuçi Abstract Serbia has ethnicized religion, transforming it into a nationalist tool to destabilize Kosovo. Religious holidays, such as Orthodox Christmas, are exploited to promote political and nationalist agendas, fueling interethnic tensions. Instead of focusing on spiritual

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FROM MASSACRE TO MANIPULATION: SERBIA’S STRATEGY TO DENY THE HISTORY OF REÇAK

Author: Dr. Gurakuç Kuçi On January 15, 1999, during the second day of the Orthodox New Year, Serbia marked yet another dark chapter of atrocity in its history. In the village of Reçak in Shtime, Serbian forces massacred 45 men, women, and children, all unarmed civilians. This barbaric act once again demonstrated the brutality of

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STRATEGIC PUTIN’S PLAN: WHAT ARE THE REAL GOALS OF CONTEMPORARY RUSSIA?

Dr. Iryna SynelnykResearcher at Institute for Hybrid Warfare Studies “OCTOPUS”iryna.synelnyk@octopusinstitute.org Abstract This paper deals with Russia’s declared and real goals in Ukraine during the war, which has been going on since 2014, and Russia’s interests in expanding its influence in European countries. This topic has been covered by many contemporary media in Russia, Ukraine and

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