This provides further disturbing evidence (on top of the tens of thousands of Russian war crimes) that unnecessary cruelty is a systemic part of Russia’s invasion of #Ukraine and not isolated, individual acts. There are institutional incentives for the Russians to behave this way (medals, etc). Putin and Gerasimov are ultimately culpable. 1/6 🧵🇺🇦
3/ This “fighting by the rules” plays a big role in projecting legitimacy for the Ukrainian state and helps in gaining military, diplomatic, financial and moral support from other nations.
4/ But it also has a crucial impact on soldiers. When soldiers are well-led, and engage in ethical conduct in war (as brutal as that might be at times), it keeps them human in the most terrible of circumstances, and also protects their souls. This matters for them now and into the future.
5/ Wars are not ‘anything goes’. My recent piece here (you can read it for free) examines how #Ukraine has engaged in fighting a ‘just war’ from day one of the Russian large scale invasion in 2022.
mickryan.substack.com
mickryan.substack.com
6/ Thanks again to @Tatarigami_UA and the many others who have called out Russian war crimes and have also highlighted the vast difference in conduct between Russian and Ukraine soldiers. I also recommend the work of @KaurinShanks @RisaBrooks12 @davidwhetham @KCLMilEthics & others who examine ethical conduct in war. End.
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