Interesting observation by Keir Giles from Chatham House on the telly here last night r/e Bucha etc.
He said that this is the way Russia has waged war for centuries.
Medieval savagery and extreme violence, brutality designed to deter, demoralise.
Which, combined with the art of strategic and tactical lying, seems to explain what we are seeing.
No less distressing and barbaric - but also underlines how we are naive to think we can hope to engage with Russia as an actor that respects international norms and conventions.
https://www.chathamhouse.org/2021/09/what-deters-russia
They understand only one thing: force.
‘Impervious to logic of reason [Russia] is highly sensitive to logic of force. For this reason it can easily withdraw – and usually does when strong resistance is encountered at any point. Thus, if the adversary has sufficient force and makes clear his readiness to use it, he rarely has to do so.’