War has always been a brutal game, inflicting suffering especially on the defeated side. For example, during the Thirty Years' War, it was common practice that the victorious party was allowed to plunder a conquered city for three days.
Such looting, often accompanied by rape and violence, was considered the victor's right. However, in the modern era, this kind of behavior is unequivocally prohibited under international law.
That is why it was shocking to read that Russian soldier Dugar Zhamnjanov admitted on the Russian television news channel Rossiya 1 that he had mutilated captured Ukrainian soldiers, voluntary fighters and civilians by cutting off the index fingers on both of their hands.
Of course, it has already been widely known that Russian forces have mutilated, tortured, beaten, and executed Ukrainian soldiers and civilians both in Ukraine and elsewhere. But the fact that someone would publicly admit to committing war crimes on television, showing their face and stating their name, reveals that the army, state, and leadership he serves do not take war crimes seriously at all.
For this reason—and many others—it is of utmost importance that Western democracies, which uphold the rule of law, ensure that such a morally bankrupt state—and especially its leadership—never gets to enjoy victory in the war against Ukraine. On the contrary, the war must end with justice prevailing.
Previous thoughts on the same topic:
The Downing of the Azerbaijani Plane Is a War Crime That Must Be Condemned
Can Peace Emerge from Horrific War Crimes?
Ukraine can and will stop Putin
If it's a common knowledge that when a person is captured as a prisoner of war he will be tortured, maybe the resistance will be firmer, just saving the last bullet for him/herself.
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