The Big Picture. 21st Century Combat

Israel has made digital technology its primary weapon, transforming the very concept of modern warfare.

In October 2023, the IDF began deploying AI-driven cyberespionage. An AI system named ‘Gospel’ tracked Hamas positions and selected targets for airstrikes, while ‘Lavender’ intercepted mobile communications and messaging app traffic.

In September 2024, Lebanon witnessed two waves of explosions involving various electronic devices – operations attributed to Mossad. Then, in 2025, Israeli intelligence recruited a network of Afghan migrants in Iran via the internet.

How has Israel reshaped the nature of modern warfare? Who is behind the introduction of these new technologies in the Middle East, and could these methods be used against Russia? Jelena Norkunaite speaks with experts Aleksandr Doronin, Maksim Kondratyev, and Georgy Asatryan about the total digitalization of war and the new reality in combat.

Watch “The Big Picture. 21st Century Combat” on RTD website and on RT’s live feed. The time of the broadcast is available on RT’s schedule page.