Russia’s military has a culture of brutality and scorn for the laws of armed conflict that has been extensively documented in the past. “The Russian military repeatedly flouted the laws of war by failing to protect civilians and even attacking them directly. But the scenes unfolding in places like Bucha suggest an intimate kind of violence, something reminiscent of Russia’s war in Chechnya. Those statements did not stop Russia’s military from grinding ahead with its ruthless pacification campaign. Russian forces have also targeted local Ukrainian mayors for detention — and in at least one case, Ukrainian officials say, an extrajudicial killing.

Source: CNN April 04, 2022 21:53 UTC