When Bits strike in cyberwarfare: Kinetic effects on Ius ad Bellum and Ius in Bello
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33936/nullius.v6i1.7619Keywords:
Artificial Intelligence; Cyberconflict, International Humanitarian Law;Abstract
The digitalization of armed conflict has overwhelmed the traditional frameworks of international law, requiring a critical reassessment of the normative foundations governing the use of force. This article investigates the impact of cyberattacks with kinetic consequences physical damage caused by digital operations on the contemporary redefinition of jus ad bellum and international humanitarian law. Using an analytical-interpretative methodology and a case study approach (Stuxnet, NotPetya, Colonial Pipeline), the paper explores how cyberspace, as an emerging domain of warfare, erodes the notions of territoriality, distinction, and proportionality. The research proposes a legal reconstruction of the concept of “armed conflict zone” within transnational digitalized environments and problematizes attribution and the legitimacy of state countermeasures. Far from being a merely technical evolution, the study contends that this represents a structural mutation of modern conflict, demanding an urgent normative revision grounded in principles of humanity, transparency, and international accountability.
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