I’m disappointed, but not surprised. This is how they are, especially during times of stress, like war. Culture could probably get better if not for their leadership, but I doubt we’ll see it improve until Putin and the people backing him get purged.
This is how they are
I don’t really like it when people think this. Every group of humans has people that would do this given the chance. Otherwise I agree, that Russian leadership really doesn’t care what their soldiers are doing, so the soldiers do what they want with zero accountability or fear of retaliation.
Ultimately, these sorts of crimes are incredibly common for occupying armies. Culture impacts the way these crimes are handled – are they punished, ignored, covered up, or tacitly (or even explicitly) encouraged? But the common element is soldiers, and the way that war leads to the dehumanization of the enemy, not that some cultures breed uniquely evil people.
