arbiter
JournalsPricingAccount

The Matryoshka Strategy: Russia's Hybrid Tactics in the Sahel

Lotfi Sour

Afrika Spectrum2026https://doi.org/10.1177/00020397261425984article
ABDC C
Weight
0.50

What the paper says

This paper employs the Matryoshka Model to examine Russia's multi-layered strategy in the Sahel, conceptualising its engagement as a hybrid form of hegemonic competition that integrates diplomacy, economic leverage, security cooperation, and covert operations. Russia's approach is characterised by a nested structure of influence, wherein overt state-to-state relations, private military deployments, and information warfare operate in tandem to reinforce Moscow's strategic objectives. The study situates Russia's activities within the broader geopolitical landscape, arguing that its engagement in Sahelian states is not merely opportunistic but part of a deliberate effort to reshape regional power dynamics. By capitalising on governance deficits, security crises, and economic dependencies, Russia has positioned itself as an alternative to Western actors, leveraging military agreements, resource extraction deals, and disinformation campaigns to entrench its presence. This paper contends that Russia's strategy fragments geopolitics and challenges Western security, revealing asymmetric power in the evolving global order.

Open paper page →

Cite this paper

https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/00020397261425984

Or copy a formatted citation

@article{lotfi2026,
  title        = {{The Matryoshka Strategy: Russia's Hybrid Tactics in the Sahel}},
  author       = {Lotfi Sour},
  journal      = {Afrika Spectrum},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/00020397261425984},
}

Paste directly into BibTeX, Zotero, or your reference manager.

Flag this paper

The Matryoshka Strategy: Russia's Hybrid Tactics in the Sahel

Flags are reviewed by the Arbiter methodology team within 5 business days.

Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.