The Institute for Hybrid Warfare Studies “Octopus” is an independent research and policy think tank dedicated to identifying, deconstructing, and countering hybrid threats for a safer and more resilient security environment in Kosovo and beyond. Our mission is to provide evidence-based research and geopolitical analysis that enhances strategic clarity, public awareness, and understanding of the evolving security landscape of the Western Balkans.

THE HAGUE VERDICT

(The KLA and the Geopolitical Battle for the Republic of Kosovo) Author: Prof. Asoc. Dr. Arben Fetoshi – Director at Institute for Hybrid Warfare “OCTOPUS” On 16 September 2026, the Specialist Chambers in The Hague will deliver the judgment against four leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army: Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi. Nearly six years of detention and more than three years of trial proceedings are not only individual injustices against the accused, but also a protracted legal battle over the truth about Kosovo. Formally, the Court will not rule on the justness of the KLA’s war […]

PASQYRA E AGRESORIT

18 maj 2026 Në kontekstin dixhital të luftës së informacionit, propaganda kërkon më shumë sofistikim dhe stimulim emocional. Strategjia e “viktimizimit” e Serbisë përdor atribuim të rremë, “akuza pasqyruese” dhe fabrikim kërcënimesh, duke synuar manipulimin e së vërtetës. Përmes projeksionit dhe amplifikimit në media, komunikimi i saj strategjik përbëhet nga mobilizimi i brendshëm, konfuzioni ndërkombëtar dhe “gabimi” i supozuar i NATO-s, me qëllim legjitimimin e militarizimit të saj dhe minimin e Republikës së Kosovës. Atribuim i rremë për efekt më të madh Në një kohë kur Shtetet e Bashkuara po e bëjnë rrugën drejt paqes në Ballkan më të qartë përmes […]

Political polarization in the context of security

April 1, 2026 FacebookTwitterPinterest Share Gjon Culaj, Associate Fellow at the “Octopus” Institute Political and social polarization has become one of the most concerning and potentially destabilizing phenomena for the functioning of contemporary democracies (EPRS, 2025). From the perspective of contemporary security theories, social cohesion and political stability are considered essential elements of comprehensive security strategy, beyond the traditional concept of protection from external military threats. Barry Buzan, one of the most prominent theorists in security studies, in his book “People, States and Fear”, emphasizes that security should be understood as a multidimensional concept that includes not only the military […]

The Limits of European Diplomacy in the Kosovo – Serbia Dialogue

Gjon Culaj, Associate Fellow at the “Octopus” Institute Since the launch of the European Union-facilitated dialogue in 2011, expectations were that the process would become the primary mechanism for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia and for the consolidation of peace and stability in the Western Balkans. However, after more than 15 years of effort, the dialogue has produced several agreements but very few tangible results on the ground. This demonstrates the limitations of European diplomacy as a mediator and, at the same time, exposes Serbia’s strategy of using the dialogue not as an instrument of reconciliation, but rather […]

SERBIA’S PERFIDIOUS PLAYBOOK IN NEW YORK

(Vučić’s Moralizing at the UN General Assembly as Pressure on the West) Once upon a time, there was a cunning minister who had crafted the packaging for his boss’s campaign of terror. Thirty years later, at the heart of world diplomacy, he tried to put those who stopped the terror, ethnic cleansing and genocide in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo in the dock. Will the West let Vučić’s account of a world in turmoil—and his choice of who is to blame for setting it ablaze—go unchallenged? Putin’s “European” Spokesman It does not matter, in this telling, that Croats, Bosniaks and […]

THE STRATEGY OF “POGROM”

(Serbia’s manipulation of the March 2004 unrest) Author: Prof. Asoc. Dr. Arben Fetoshi – Director at Institute for Hybrid Warfare “OCTOPUS” A tragedy that began in the Ibar River, where three Albanian children (Egzon Deliu and Avni and Florent Veseli) drowned while being chased by a group of Serbs, on March 17 and 18, 2004, turned into the most severe episode of post-war Kosovo. Investigations classified the case as murder, yet UNMIK never identified the perpetrators. The civic revolt that followed continues to be remembered amid ambiguity and politicization. Calculating on public frustration caused by the delay of political status, “someone” […]

THE BIA PROJECT FOR THE (LIST)SERBIANIZATION OF KOSOVO

June 2, 2026

(Linçimi si përgjigje është ndaj Nenad Rashiqit) Author: Prof. Asoc. Dr. Arben Fetoshi – Director…

Russia, Kosovo, and Ukraine: The False Model of the “Precedent”

May 18, 2026

Author: Dr. Gurakuç Kuçi – Senior Researcher at Institute for Hybrid Warfare Studies “OCTOPUS” and…

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Analysis

THE HAGUE JUDGMENT IN SERBIAN PROPAGANDA

October 6, 2026

Author: Gjon Culaj, External Associate at the “Octopus” Institute Kosovo Specialist Chambers judgment in The…

SERBIA’S PERFIDIOUS PLAYBOOK IN NEW YORK

September 28, 2026

(Vučić’s Moralizing at the UN General Assembly as Pressure on the West) Author: Prof. Asoc….

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Publications

ELECTORAL INTEGRITY AND NATIONAL SECURITY

June 5, 2026 No Comments

(Remarks by Gjon Culaj at the OCTOPUS Forum: “Electoral Integrity under Hybrid…

THE BIA PROJECT FOR THE (LIST)SERBIANIZATION OF KOSOVO

June 2, 2026 No Comments

(Linçimi si përgjigje është ndaj Nenad Rashiqit) Author: Prof. Asoc. Dr. Arben…

Russia, Kosovo, and Ukraine: The False Model of the “Precedent”

May 18, 2026 No Comments

Author: Dr. Gurakuç Kuçi – Senior Researcher at Institute for Hybrid Warfare…

Religious authoritarianism as a method of hegemonic politics

January 16, 2026 No Comments

What are the real threats from the combination of “verticalization of power”…

Lufta hibride përmes mbishkrimeve

January 15, 2026 No Comments

Në vitin 2020, filloi ndërtimi i një objekti të njohur si “Kisha…

THE STRUGGLE FOR TRUTH: UNVEILING EFFORTS TO DISCREDIT THE HISTORY AND STABILITY OF KOSOVO

June 27, 2024 No Comments

THE STRUGGLE FOR TRUTH: UNVEILING EFFORTS TO DISCREDIT THE HISTORY AND STABILITY…

Critical Issues Under the Octopus Lens

With high-level expertise, to dissect hybrid threats and advance strategic clarity in Kosovo and beyond.The Forums of Octopus Institute, featuring distinguished panels of national, regional, and international experts, address current security and geopolitical challenges.

May 28, 2026 | Forum
Electoral Integrity under Hybrid Threats: Security Implications of Foreign Interference
September 30, 2025 | Forum
Democracy under Threat: Elections as a Geopolitical Battleground
June 28, 2025 | Forum
Vidovdan between Myth and Geopolitics: Its Role in the Serbian National Project
January 27, 2025 | Roundtable
Foreign Interference in Elections and Its Impact on National Security and Democracy
October 2, 2024 | International Conference
The Impact of Russian Aggression in Ukraine on European Geopolitics

Podcast

Thank you for your interest in the Octopus Institute for Hybrid Warfare Studies. If you have any questions, inquiries, or collaboration opportunities, please feel free to reach out to us using the contact information below:

Email: info@octopusinstitute.org
Email: iskhoctopusjournal@octopusinstitute.org

Alternatively, you can contact specific team members directly