
Russia’s human shield narrative: The lies Putin invokes to justify the slaying of innocent civilians
Since Russia’s invasion began in late February 2022, universities, schools, theaters, hospitals, and many other civilian sites in Ukraine have been destroyed by Russian shelling and more than four million people have so far fled the country. Faced with the devastating consequences of its actions, Russia has increasingly fallen back on a single legal justification: human shields. Indeed, Moscow repeatedly suggested that Ukraine’s military is deliberately using civilians as a screen to defend legitimate military targets. On February 25, just hours after the invasion began, Russian President Vladimir Putin appealed directly to the personnel of the armed forces of...
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