Challenges to national defence in contemporary geopolitical situation

This study examines the reliability of financial reporting in the Russian defence industry amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the resulting Western sanctions. Using Benford’s Law, the authors analyse accounting data (Total Assets, Turnover, and Profit/Loss) from selected strategic sectors (NACE 2540, 3030, and 3040) between 2015 and 2024. The results reveal a significant and growing deviation from the theoretical distribution of leading digits, particularly following the 2022 invasion. Specific anomalies—such as the anomalous excess of the digit 1 in Total Assets and the concentration of digits 2 and 9 in Profit/Loss—point to systematic asset padding, creative margin management, and the use of accounting as a tool for strategic disinformation. The analysis suggests that while Russian authorities attempt to maintain a facade of economic stability through “controlled fiction”, statistical testing uncovers underlying institutional stress, asset degradation, and the shift towards a closed-loop war economy. The study concludes that Benford’s Law is a vital tool for detecting operational paralysis and information manipulation when primary data are classified or unreliable.

The article analyzes the healthcare sector as a strategic target in hybrid conflicts, with a focus on cyber threats. Based on OSINT and a comparative analysis of incidents, it identifies typical attack patterns, their operational impacts, and systemic vulnerabilities in healthcare systems. The findings demonstrate that cyber incidents disrupt healthcare delivery and have broader security implications. The study emphasizes the need to integrate cybersecurity, crisis management, and the protection of sensitive patient data.

This paper analyzes the resilience of healthcare systems in the context of armed conflicts and hybrid threats, focusing on the role of healthcare data and process management. Based on a mixed-methods approach combining qualitative and quantitative research, it identifies key systemic vulnerabilities, particularly in the areas of data sharing and coordination. The results highlight the need for healthcare organizations to prepare for operations in the event of digital infrastructure disruptions and emphasize the importance of the ability to transition to alternative modes of operation as a key element of resilience.

This article addresses the reassessment of security threats to the Czech Republic in light of developments in the security environment since 2015. The aim is to update the evaluation of selected types of threats and to reflect their current characteristics, with particular emphasis on their interdependencies and their capacity to generate cascading effects. To achieve this objective, a semi-quantitative risk assessment model is applied and extended by incorporating a cascading effect coefficient. The results of the risk assessment indicate that cyberattacks, pandemics, floods, and hazardous substance releases constitute unacceptable risks, whereas the remaining assessed threats fall within the category of conditionally acceptable risks. The proposed methodological extension enables a more accurate assessment of interconnected threats. The findings may be applied in risk assessment processes within crisis management.

The aim of this article is to analyse the approaches to population sheltering in Switzerland, Finland, and Sweden. The research methodology is based on a previously published article by the authors [1], in which the relative criteria of approaches to population sheltering in selected countries were identified and evaluated using Saaty method and the weighted sum method. This procedure is now also applied to the newly assessed countries. The analysis of sheltering in Switzerland, Finland, and Sweden highlighted common features resulting from the inclusion of sheltering within the system of total national defence, as well as differences in the systemic integration of sheltering among the countries under review. The findings suggest that an effective sheltering system is contingent upon sustained political support, a clear legislative framework, and the integration of protective infrastructure into the broader framework of national security.

This article focuses on modeling the spread of disinformation narratives on social media using the SEDPNR epidemiological model, an extension of the basic SEIR model that takes into account the specifics of digital communication. This includes the existence of a "doubt" phase and the division of active users according to their sentiment polarity. The analyzed data describe a specific disinformation narrative, “Biolabs Ukraine,” that spread in connection with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The results demonstrate that the dissemination of the narrative exhibits characteristics of an infodemic wave: a rapid increase, a brief peak, and a subsequent decline. The analysis confirms the significant role of active users and shows that supportive and critical reactions both contribute to the further dissemination of content.

The paper focuses on testing a 5G stand-alone network for the operation of UGVs and UAVs with an emphasis on video transmission. Common key parameters indicators measurements mainly assess lower network layers and do not provide a sufficient insight into the behavior of real services, which are also influenced by higher layers. Therefore, the testing combined the iperf tool configured with parameters suitable for video streaming and a ping test to indicate congestion. The outdoor results showed that the standard uplink/downlink ratio of 20/80 is not suitable for this scenario. A comparison with indoor measurements using a 45/55 ratio confirmed significantly better performance. Based on the configuration changes, it was verified that the 5G stand-alone network is suitable for video transmission from mobile platforms and allows further expansion of testing.

The paper examines the development of the ethical values of student soldiers preparing for service through university studies before the 2022 war in Ukraine and following the initiation of Russia's war against Ukraine in 2024. The research problem focused on verifying the hypothesis of whether Russia's aggression against Ukraine influenced a change in the ethical values of 280 respondents from several countries. The ethical values of soldiers preparing for service through studies at the University of Defence in the Czech Republic were analyzed. Furthermore, selected ethical values were analyzed among student soldiers from Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Austria, and Lithuania who completed a one-semester study stay at the University of Defence in the Czech Republic. Given the established research objectives, a quantitatively oriented empirical survey was employed. Data collection was conducted through questionnaire-based inquiries. The research indicates that ethical values gain significance during times of conflict and that there is no substantial difference in preferences among respondents from the selected countries.

This paper examines the use of Virtual Reality (VR) for teaching the historical role of artillery. The methodology combines VR-based scenarios with behavioral and speech analytics supported by Artificial Intelligence. The findings indicate that VR enhances understanding of decision-making under constraints and shifts learners from technical to context-driven reasoning. The results suggest that VR can improve the linkage between theory and operational practice in artillery training. The study contributes by integrating experiential learning with measurable performance indicators and offers a novel approach to military education.

This article presents a view and opinion on the methods of applying risk analysis in the Czech Republic, gained through practical experience. Risk analysis is a fundamental building block in the creation of key documents in the field of emergency planning and crisis management, which are an integral part of the security system of the Czech Republic. In risk analysis, an important role is played by determining the threats that most threaten the Czech Republic, and then adopting measures that will reduce the level of risk to an acceptable level. The increasing number of natural and anthropogenic emergencies naturally brings with it an increase in the severity of their consequences. Within the framework of the systematic application of the policy of preventing emergencies and crisis situations, the analysis of threats and the risks arising from them is of key importance. The publication describes the risk analysis methodology, which culminated in the adoption of the document "Threat Analysis for the Czech Republic" approved by Resolution of the Government of the Czech Republic No. 369 in April 2016. The document analysis method was used as the basic research method. This qualitative research method was focused on the analysis of threats in the Czech Republic. At the same time, it responded to the past extraordinary events that are commented on in the publication. The developing trend of research in the field of protection against the effects of CBRN substances was also emphasized. The analysis of documents is limited to the period from 2016 to the present, because the Threat Analysis for the Czech Republic was approved in 2016. The basic question is therefore whether this threat analysis corresponds to the current security situation in the Czech Republic and in Europe. Some challenges and potential shortcomings in this area are pointed out, especially at the level of territorial self-governing units and in the area of legal regulation and legislation. The perspective on new challenges in connection with protection against the effects of CBRN substances, increased risk of terrorism and other extraordinary events causing large-scale violations of the law is also emphasized. In this context, the issue of soft targets is also partially analysed, since the vast majority of similar incidents occur in these facilities. The conclusions from the article and the aforementioned ambiguities should be the subject of expert discussion in the future, and possible legislative revisions should be made in order to ensure systemic efficiency and clear definition of responsibilities both in the area of risk analysis and in the area of subsequent processing of crisis plans and other security documents.