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Is Russia Now Fascist? Volodya Vagner: In late March, Russian troops withdrew in defeat from northern Ukraine. They left behind grim traces of war crimes apparently committed during their occupation. In the town of Bucha, dozens of dead civilians were discovered in the streets and in mass graves. Some had their hands bound behind their backs and appeared to have been deliberately executed. What followed from Russian officials was a rollercoaster ride of contradictory explanations: the victims were simultaneously said to be crisis actors, and also dead, but too recently deceased for them to have been killed by Russian troops. While it is still too early to know the exact number and circumstances of each of the deaths, a plethora of evidence – such as satellite images and drone footage, intercepted Russian communications and eyewitness accounts from the scene – makes one thing clear: the army committed a range of atrocities against local civilians, including executions, kidnappings, rape and torture. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the discoveries in Bucha are proof that Vladimir Putin's war is genocidal in nature. While some scholars of genocide share this view, others point out that for war crimes to meet the threshold of genocide as defined by the UN Genocide Convention, they would need to be clearly linked to an intent to destroy, in whole or in part, Ukrainians as a national group. Either way, the Russian military's conduct demands we reflect not just the war itself, but the regime that started it. In the run-up to Russia's full-scale invasion, many commentators, especially on the left, were dismissive of those who saw the warning signs. Much of this scepticism was based on the view that such a war would be a strategic own goal for Russia, and on the assumption that Putin, albeit ruthless, was an essentially rational statesman who would know not to commit such a folly. The fact he did so anyway, and that his troops are now inflicting atrocities on Ukraine's population that may qualify as genocidal, begs unsettling questions. What are the dynamics driving the Kremlin's behaviour? Has Putin's Russia become a fascist regime? CONTINUE READING ➡︎ Picks of the week... REPORT Caterpillar to Ship In Back-Office Scabs to Crush Factory Strike by Steven Methven EXCLUSIVE: Emails seen by Novara Media show the multibillion-dollar construction and mining company is offering management staff free flights, hotels and security to work in its Northern Ireland factories during this week's strike. Read more... OPINION Is There Any Point Staying in Labour? by Gaya Sriskanthan and Andrew Scattergood With local elections looming, Momentum's co-chairs make the case for a strong Labour left. Read more... READ MORE ON NOVARAMEDIA.COM ➡︎ Support independent journalism. We've got big plans for our written journalism, aiming to bring you even more analysis, opinion and reporting than we've been able to before. Setting up a regular monthly donation is the best way to help us sustain our work, grow our output, and expand our reach. Support us with a monthly donation, and you'll help bring even more people with us on a political journey over the next decade. We ask for the equivalent of one hour's wage a month, or anything you can. Alternatively, you can support us with a one-off donation. We know times are really tough, so any support you give does not go unnoticed. Thanks so much – we really couldn't do this without you. Copyright © 2022 Thousand Hands Ltd. All rights reserved. You can choose which emails you receive from Novara Media (including our newsletters 'The Cortado' and 'The Pick', updates on what we're working on and ways you can support our work). Manage your preferences here. Thousand Hands Ltd is a private company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales #11245029. Its registered address is 96 Castle Lane West, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH9 3JU. Novara Media is a trading name of Thousand Hands Ltd and, as such, the individual shall have no personal liability arising out of such communication, and liability or obligation rests solely with Novara Media. Opinions or advice contained in this email are subject to the terms and conditions set out in the relevant terms of business and are not necessarily agreed or authorised by Thousand Hands Ltd. We have taken all reasonable precautions to ensure that no viruses are transmitted from Novara Media to any third party. Novara Media accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage resulting directly or indirectly from the use of this email or the contents. Novara Media is regulated by IMPRESS, the independent press regulator.

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