I had an acquaintance in Russia. He got chronic stomach problems since he couldnt afford a diverse diet due to the sanctions on food imports (the Russian sanctions on the EU aimed at making the Russian economy more resilient). Last time i heard from him he manage to move a nestegg into Dollar taking a hefty cut due to devaluations. I lost contact when Russia blacklisted the site we knew each other from and he didnt want to risk getting a VPN. Also talked to somebody from Belarus who saw the protests and cleanups happening. I am really curious about what you would tell them what they should have done to not become a target for you.

Would recommend a sober look in the mirror as well as maybe getting a copy of Chris Hedges "War is a force that gives us meaning". The "there are no innocence in war" is a textbook warcry right out of conflicts like Yugoslav one. Its the tactical dehumanization of the enemy. To have a one dimensional caricature to rally people against. Its what makes it logical to escalate the conflict to ethnic cleansing. Its great for polarization after all and you get people to join you who would never associated with you in the first place. It even works in prisons. And its absolutely horrible. And has the additional benefit of whitewashing yourself, after all, nobody is innocent.

Lets call your post for what it is, its warmongering. And the fact that you are rightfully outraged doesnt change that. What you are doing is creating and perpetuating a narrative that sets the stage for atrocities against the civilian population. They are all guilty after all, so you get to be as well.

I am honestly shocked that people dont get that there is a whole lot of room to escalate from where we are now. And i am very much afraid that people dont grasp that. Or worse, they do but prefer to embrace their emotional reaction on the topic. Or take it out of a strategic calculation. But at the end the malice or stupidity spetrum is completely irrelevant. It all has the same result.