The article focuses on information war used by the Russian Federation as part of its holistic approach to conducting international competition. Through a critical analysis of Russian literature and operational practice, the mechanisms of its application and challenges to the security of European states were identified. Through the research it was established that the Russian perception of contemporary international rivalry is based on the idea of playing out the struggle in people's minds, and its foundation is the concept of new generation war. The article justifies that information war is a holistic concept of influencing people's cognitive sphere and forming their behavioral attitudes in line with Russia's expectations. Moreover, it is suggested that in the strategic dimension, information war allows to achieve the goals of international rivalry or create conditions for achieving them, without the need for military force. In this context, conducting information campaigns integrated with psychological operations in cyberspace is a weapon of the Russian government, which is used to discredit legitimate authorities and weaken the political, economic and social systems of European states.