Thread by @JBelcourt73

How many rings does the Russian circus have? I am used to Russia's various versions of Lord Haw-Haw and Axis Sally spouting all sorts of nonsense but every now and then they write something that really takes the cake. In this most recent display of supreme irony the supreme

HEAD OF RUSSIA said this, " No side that’s confident in its prospects of military and soft power success would ever deign to attack civilians, especially refugees, not to mention those that it claims are its own people on its own land.

This part of an article where he claims that shelling a bridge used for military purposes is a war crime. No, Andy, it is not, though Russia putting civilians on it as human shields definitely is. Although I am not a lawywr, let alone one versed in the LOAC and IHL I think I know

enough to write a basic treatise on what is and is not permissible in war. The three main guiding principles are 1. distinction 2. proportionality 3. necessity. If a military action breaks anyone of those 3 it is likely a war crime. Let's do some thought experiments.

First LOAC= Laws of Armed Conflict treaties like the Hauge and Geneva Conventions and Customary International Law (CIL) that has grown up over time regarding how wars are fought. IHL= International Humanitarian Law are treaties/CIL that lay out how nations treat each other and

civilians during war time. This system of laws began to develop hundreds of years ago but really took off during the late 1800's when the industrial revolution was in full swing and both killing power and populations were literally exploding. They are admittedly imperfect. The

scenario is thus, the enemy is using a major transportation link to move military hardware, personnel and support its logistics effort. Say the bridge at Kherson or any random rail line in Free Ukraine. For the Antonovsky Bridge, Ukraine has been hitting it with highly accurate

GMLRS missiles. They have not been using area effect weapons and grid square removal. They have a distinct target and are using weapons proportional to the need and both fulfilling the need to protect as much as they can civilian populations and conduct military operations

to help free their country from #RussiaIsATerroristState who is waging war of aggression to carry out a #GenocideOfUkrainians. Ukraine has no obligation to not fire on the bridge because the Russians pack it with hostages. In fact using human shields is illegal under IHL.

Specifically, Article 28 of the Third Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocol 1 (AP1) 51(7) among others stating: neither the civilian population at large nor individual civilians shall ‘be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations’

Now lets look at Russia, pick the train station bombing you want there have been several. Now taking out a train station by and of itself is as legal as taking out a bridge. Other than the fact that it was carried out as part of a war of aggression anyway. However, targeting a

train station during commuter hours when only civilians and not military are present changes the calculus. that same AP1 article 51 (4 a,b,c) states: 4. Indiscriminate attacks are prohibited. Indiscriminate attacks are:(a) those which are not directed at a specific military

objective; (b) those which employ a method or means of combat which cannot be directed at a specific military objective; or

(c) those which employ a method or means of combat the effects of which cannot be limited as required by this Protocol; and consequently, in each such

case, are of a nature to strike military objectives and civilians or civilian objects without distinction. We clearly see two different approaches to how to target transportation infrastructure. Ukraine using weapons and tactics designed to minimize risk to protected persons.

Russia using not only a complete lack of distinction but a deliberate choice to time strikes when protected persons are most vulnerable. We see the same pattern over and over again by the Russians. The fact that they do not have the ability to deliver pin point fires doesn't

by itself make the attacks illegal, but the timing does because there is no way to make an attack at rush hour proportional to the expected military gain and there is never the necessity of killing shoppers, students and commuters trying to catch a train, buy food, go to class,

or just to go home. It is terror and terror is the Russian way of war. Inherited from the Mongols and refined by the Czars and Stalin they actively seek out ways to commit war crimes based on the notion that you can make war so terrible for civilians that an enemy army will give

up. @WarintheFuture does a great thread on this as it relates to Gen Armageddon here. Its long but well worth the read. His thesis: get ready for more terror, more death, and more ruin.

https://twitter.com/WarintheFuture/status/1583256094142476288?s=20&t=_zsV232GFk8XwEmJi6u2Tg

We know the butchery is coming, so we have a moral imperative to act. Giving Ukraine the tools to resist the barbarity of the Russian way of war is why I tag @JohnBoozman, @SenTomCotton, and @RepFrenchHill every day. Its why I am so proud that #Arkansas is playing such a vital

role in defending a fellow democracy. Its why I donate to charities like @MriyaAid and joined #NAFO to combat Russian dis-info with my essays by providing good reliable information to my readers. Plus it helps support the @georgian_legion as they fight Russians. Russians who want

rape babies and level cities on one hand as they wage a war of race based imperial aggression and on the other claim the wolves who never invaded anyone are the real baddies. Its a worthless whataboutism attempt to distract from the horror that is the Russian way of war. It is

also extra work for #Fellas combating dis-info (which was the point). But good information has been the bane of Russia's attempts to carry out a genocide. Not just shit posting shiba inus but other reliable sources like @MriyaReport that continually pump out good information and

elevate Ukrainian voices. Another treasure of good info is @LanguageIearner's updates. I read the text conversions when I wake up and then I look to see what is trending. It gets the mental juices flowing so I can deliver for my readers. This has been a long war and its only

going to get longer but in the end #ukrainewillwin the #UkraineWar and cities like #Kherson will be liberated and destroyed cities like #Bakhmut will be rebuilt and captive/stolen populations returned. Until Ukraine wins on Ukraine's terms: Slava Ukraini!

@mfa_russia <--- still losing and your useful idiots and Haw-Haws will join you in the dock when the war crimes trials come calling.

@threadreaderapp unroll please