Interesting essay. But step back. Russia rolled its military into another nation, Ukraine, and started shooting, shelling, bombing and all the rest. You gloss over that and say that they started to retreat and it doesn't make sense they would leave dead bodies on the street? So, the Russians are killing everyone in some "fair" way and wouldn't kill anyone on the street or in a basement? (BTW, killing them with flechettes is not far from summary executions, even worse, as it easily kills women and children).

I think you have an argument here, that we don't have all the facts and there may have been less crimes against humanity. The "real" Russian military may have had little, or nothing to do with what happened. Anyway, there are many eye-witness accounts of war crimes.

But again, 40,000 feet. Have you looked at all the destruction in Ukraine? I see little evidence that Russia isn't executing a scorched Earth policy.

Finally, why does Russia kill ex-spies with radioactive poisons on foreign shores? Or Navalny? Because that's the message of how they operate. It's sent on purpose. So how can I buy the argument that they were nice in Bucha but don't mind potentially poisoning Britains, Germans, etc. Where you do you get the basis that Russia fights clean?

The media sucks. You're not going to get any argument from me on that. But you have to make a stronger argument, at least for me, to write this off as a false flag operation.

I don't believe Putin directed his military to torture and kill anyone in Ukraine. But he doesn't have to. He understand that if he sends certain types of men there the message will be received. He understands that if he lets person A run and operate the SVR people will be poisoned.

Again, interesting take!