Videos of horrific abuses blamed on Russia's troops in Ukraine have exposed what activists say is a deep-rooted sense of impunity in Moscow's army.
A defaced mural of Russia's mercenary group Wagner is seen at an apartment block in Belgrade on January 20, 2023. An expert warned against explanations blaming inherent characteristics—noting that most of the shock videos have been attributed to Wagner, not the regular Russian army. Oliver Bunic/ AFP
"There have been precedents, especially in Chechnya where dozens of headless bodies were discovered, among the thousands of forced disappearances during the second Chechen war" from 1999-2009, he added. "Russian leaders, whether they're in the army, the intelligence services or Wagner, go unpunished and can be sure of that impunity."
"There's a whole bundle of things that make this violence possible," Lebedev said, pointing to "practices seen as acceptable, like making no distinction between civilians and combatants."
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