Intro

From the outside, Russia’s relentless bombardment of Ukraine looks indiscriminate and improvised. But the approach is part of an approach devised decades ago in Chechnya.

The Times journalist Carlotta Gall, who covered the Chechen conflict, explains why wars fought by Russia some 30 years ago could inform what happens next in Ukraine.

Guest: Carlotta Gall, the Istanbul bureau chief for The New York Times.

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Background reading: 

• Russia’s experience in a string of wars led to the conclusion that attacking civilian populations was not only acceptable but militarily sound.

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