CYBERWARFARE AND CYBER OPERATIONS IN INTERNATIONAL LAW: PROBLEMS OF DELIMITATION AND LEGAL REGULATION
Keywords:
cyberwarfare, cyber operations, cyberattacks, international humanitarian law, cyberspace, attribution, Tallinn Manual 2.0, use of forceAbstract
The article examines the legal nature of cyberattacks, cyber operations, and cyberwarfare under international law. The aim of the study is to distinguish between these concepts and to analyze the applicability of international humanitarian law to activities conducted in cyberspace. The methodological framework of the research comprises theoretical-dogmatic, comparative legal, empirical, and statistical methods, including an analysis of practical cases such as Stuxnet, WannaCry, NotPetya, SolarWinds, and cyber operations conducted in the context of the Russia–Ukraine conflict, as well as data from international analytical centres. The study finds that cyberspace has emerged as a distinct domain of conflict; however, existing rules of international law regulate activities in this sphere only partially, resulting in legal gaps and a so-called “grey zone.”
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