It’s Time to Have an Uncomfortable Conversation About Ukraine Striking Civilians

Following one of the largest Russian missile strikes of the ongoing conflict last Friday, Ukraine retaliated by targeting the Russian border city of Belgorod this week, as well as the port city of Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea.

This attack resulted in significant Russian casualties, with at least 25 people killed and over 100 injured.

If you know me well, and many of you do, you know that I have supported Ukraine’s struggle since 2014 when Vice News reporter Simon Ostrovsky brought the Western world his Russian Roulette Dispatches — well worth a watch on YouTube by the way.

But I also have an accountability fetish… And this kink swings both ways — If Putin is going to hang by the neck one day at The Hague for his attacks against civilians, then we need to at least acknowledge when our side does it as well.

Putin has accused Ukraine of a “terrorist attack” on civilians in Belgorod, alleging the use of controversial cluster munitions.

That’s rich, coming from Putin.

As of now, there is scant evidence to confirm that Ukraine targeted civilians or used cluster munitions, but NPR is reporting that five Russian children were among those killed.

If this is true, and NPR’s sources are accurate, it forces us to confront some uncomfortable questions about attacks against civilians.