MGIMO professor and former intelligence officer Andrey Bezrukov believes Russia is now involved in a fundamentally new type of confrontation. In his view, this is a war of attrition combined with attempts to undermine the country from within.

Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Bezrukov said the opponent is trying to avoid a direct nuclear clash with Moscow while gradually increasing pressure on Russia. The goal, he argued, is to weaken the country internally. According to him, both military facilities and critical infrastructure are now being targeted.

Bezrukov described the current phase as the first stage of a global conflict. He believes the next phase could unfold in Asia, which is becoming the key economic center of the future.

Among the main threats, the expert pointed to attempts to neutralize Russia’s nuclear potential without crossing the threshold of a direct global confrontation. According to him, two scenarios are being considered: the creation of a space-based system capable of blocking launches, or an operation involving internal agents who could strike nuclear forces at a critical moment.

Bezrukov also named state destabilization as another serious risk. In his view, Russia’s decision-making system, built as a rigid vertical structure, could be vulnerable to coordinated pressure from multiple directions — from physical attacks to information and ideological operations.

The expert also drew attention to the situation in Iran. He said the former global hegemon has lost its position, while a new balance of power has not yet emerged. In his assessment, a new system of international relations may take shape only after a major conflict in Asia.