RuI:

As it is with all wars, as soon as a fellow soldier, 'a brother in arms' if you will, is killed, then hatred replaces reason and the oxymoronic 'justified' carnage of the innocent begins.

Putin's propaganda inculcated the murderous mindset in soldiers whose loyaty is to his or her fellow soldiers:

"It's the fascist Ukranians' fault. They're Nazis. They're lesser Russians who have lost their way."

Maybe the propaganda includes 'The Ukranians are baby killers'...why else the moronic message Для детей (for the children) on the recent cluster bomb rocket?

It's got to be hyperbolized payback for some imagined Ukranian slaughter of children in an earlier conflict?

After all, according to the UN, civilian deaths during the Ukranian-Russian war over Crimea were over 1,766 killed and 2,383 wounded.

But back to your orginal beautiful piece: Of course the actions of the Russian invaders are war crimes.

Lamentably, I can't see the UN doing anything but mouth words.

The ripples from this war are already having profound impact around the world. Witness Peru's instability with inflation and rising gasoline prices destabilizing the country.

No, it will take The International Court at The Hague to level charges and convict those responsible.

Lamentably, as it was with those responsibile for the genocides in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, convictions will take time.

Add in what is/was happening in Yemen to that list too, for just like the Russians, who are still selling their oil, the Saudis are acting with war crimnal impunity because they can.