This article deals with the theoretical understanding of the strategy of "hybrid warfare" and its application to international conflicts. "Hybrid warfare" as a relatively young theoretical concept gained conceptualization at the beginning of the 21st century after many years of discussions in American scientific publications on the specific non-military features of the "4th generation war", among which the struggle in the information space was considered to be the leading one. On the practical side, this discussion corresponded to events throughout the 1950s and 2010s, when Western states expanded the use of non-military methods in numerous conflicts and wars on the planet, forming by 2015 the understanding of "hybrid warfare" enshrined in NATO strategic documents. The relevance of this research work is conditioned by the fact that when characterizing a number of conflicts both in the historical section and in the analysis of modern times, there is a widespread use of the term "hybrid war", which has not been conceptualized scientifically so far and, as a result, causes fierce discussions in the international and political science.