> perhaps those on the Russian side of the front line don't really fancy being involved in this ?
I think that's definitely the case, Russians are very close to Ukrainians culturally and ethnically. They were on the same side on several wars.
I think this may explain why things are not going full on bloodthirsty kill-everything-that-moves yet... but just wait until coffins start piling up on the hangar. Seeing your mates being killed has a way to make you de-humanize and hate the other side, no matter who they are. That's how you end up with entire cities bombed to the ground in later stages of a war... I don't think any war starts that way, that's how it usually ends though.
Let's hope they'll find a way to stop this in time.
In another thread, commenters were remarking about how ineffectual protests by the Russian people would be on account of Putin not caring about their opinions. Whether or not that’s true, I wonder if the Russian people could shame their soldiers into a degree of ineffectiveness (“throwing the game”).
No, but upper echelon is well-versed in money and power. If it seems like Putin is losing the game, their opinion could change the power structure. That is not automatically a good thing by the way. There is a reason 'devil known' is a phrase.
I think that's definitely the case, Russians are very close to Ukrainians culturally and ethnically. They were on the same side on several wars.
I think this may explain why things are not going full on bloodthirsty kill-everything-that-moves yet... but just wait until coffins start piling up on the hangar. Seeing your mates being killed has a way to make you de-humanize and hate the other side, no matter who they are. That's how you end up with entire cities bombed to the ground in later stages of a war... I don't think any war starts that way, that's how it usually ends though.
Let's hope they'll find a way to stop this in time.