I want to strongly commend this article in The Wall Street Journal on Bucha to your attention. It’s very hard to read and also a near masterpiece of narrative reporting. We’ve all seen the pictures and the horrors of this town. And there’s been claims of organized mass killing and even a plan of organized genocide. This account provides a more complicated but no less horrifying account. As we’ve heard from other towns, Russian soldiers were initially reasonably behaved and even polite to Ukrainian civilians in the town. Some confided with locals that they weren’t sure why they were there or what the point of the war was. But over time discipline began to break down. And Russian soldiers became increasingly suspicious that Ukrainian civilians were communicating their positions to Ukrainian soldiers and irregulars. This became a bigger concern as the Russian offensive bogged down. “They saw a spotter in every person who lived on the fifth floor,” one Bucha resident told the Journal, “They saw a commando in each of us.”
THE BACKCHANNEL
FREE EDITION
NEW!
A FREE email newsletter from Josh Marshall
An email newsletter from Josh Marshall

Real IndependenceMade Possible By Members
FREE community-supported memberships are available to students and those experiencing financial hardship
Most Popular
Prime
$60/yr
$45/yr
25% off!
$60/yr
$30/yr
50% off!
Access to Member-Exclusives and Fewer Ads
Get Prime
- The Hive Member Forum
- Members-Only Newsletter
- RSS Feeds
- Commenting
Also Includes:
Prime
$5.99/mo
$4.49/mo
25% off!
$5.99/mo
$2.99/mo
50% off!
Access to Member-Exclusives and Fewer Ads
Get Prime
- The Hive Member Forum
- Members-Only Newsletter
- RSS Feeds
- Commenting
Also Includes:
Prime Ad Free
$120/yr
$90/yr
25% off!
$120/yr
$60/yr
50% off!
Access to Member-Exclusives and NO Ads
Get Prime AF
- The Hive Member Forum
- Members-Only Newsletter
- RSS Feeds
- Commenting
Also Includes:
Prime Ad Free
$11.99/mo
$8.99/mo
25% off!
$11.99/mo
$5.99/mo
50% off!
Access to Member-Exclusives and NO Ads
Get Prime AF
- The Hive Member Forum
- Members-Only Newsletter
- RSS Feeds
- Commenting
Also Includes:
Annual Plans
Monthly Plans