Ukraine’s suspected massacre in Bushan is adding new weight to demands to stop buying gas and oil from Russia, writes ‘s St. Petersburg journalist Simo Ortamo.
4.4. 16:10 • Updated 4.4. 16:15
The killing and rape began when Russian soldiers arrived in the village. They started going from house to house.
From one house, the soldiers first shot the dog. They then commanded the residents against the wall and demanded money. When it wasn’t found enough, they shot the house’s owner couple and relative, the human rights organization says. Human Rights Watch in its report (switch to another service).
A total of at least 60 people were killed by Russian troops in the village of Novyje Ald in Chechnya on January 5, 2000. At least six women were raped.
The description of the second war in Chechnya more than 20 years ago is reminiscent of what Russian forces are suspected of doing in Ukraine in Bocha in recent weeks.
The full extent of the alleged war crimes in Butcha is still unclear. Journalists who arrived have photographed and videotaped civilians and mass graves killed in executions in the area from which Russian troops have withdrawn.
According to unconfirmed claims by Ukraine, there are hundreds of victims.
In Ukraine, Russia has also used other methods already known from the Chechen war to defeat the population’s resistance. In both Chechnya and Ukraine, for example, Russia has heavily bombed civilian targets and abducted opponents of the occupation.
Until now, Russia the ruthless way of warfare has paid off, at least for the president Vladimir Putin from view. Russia has time and time again been able to crush its opponents.
Putin had become deputy president just days before the massacre of Novyje Ald. A couple of months later, he won the presidential election because, among other things, the majority of Russians saw the war in Chechnya as a success.
Contributed by Russian troops have been able to continue their activities because no one has been held accountable. Russia itself has failed to investigate almost all war crimes committed by its troops.
Russia has often denied the acts completely or spread allegations drawn from the wind that have confused the true course of events.
Even now, Russia has claimed, without any credible evidence, that the images of the body taken in Bocha were either staged or the culprits were Ukrainian troops.
The Russian state has also suffered little from the consequences. Despite the wars in Chechnya, Georgia, Ukraine and Syria, more and more gas pipelines were built between Europe and Russia.
The United States and the EU did not impose sanctions on Russia until 2014, when it had taken over the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine and its separatists had shot down a passenger plane in eastern Ukraine.
In the light of the events of recent months, it appears that these sanctions have not restrained the Russian leadership at all.
Could it be different now? Bushan’s suspected war crimes have been widely shocked and strongly condemned by Western leaders. Russian troops have withdrawn from large areas north and east of Kiev, and even more war crimes may be uncovered.
The EU is preparing new sanctions on Russia, but the extent of them is not yet known.
Until now, Europe, especially Germany, has not been ready to cut off gas or oil imports from Russia, at least in the short term, even though export earnings are financing the offensive war. Ukraine has also not received the tanks it demands from the West, effective anti-aircraft systems or fighter jets.
Now, Western leaders are under increasing pressure to reconsider these demands.
This is ‘s daily analysis of the current theme of the Russian invasion.