Can people sheltering in their own homes or buildings be considered
human shields ?
Surely aiming artillery at residential buildings cannot use shielding
as an excuse ?

"We" in Australia don't 'need'to challenge Russia. We need (really need) to challenge our politicians this coming election about what they are really doing about protecting our country from China. I have no faith in any of them being up to the task.

When the pamphlets start filling our letterboxes with offers to spend big, give us that, give us this, we need to start emailing every candidate demanding to know what they are doing about defence and China.

Forget Ukraine. Does anyone seriously think that they would be of any help to us if we were under attack? We, a country that is virtually defenceless, thanks to years of neglect by our political class, is sending money and equipment to Ukraine. God help us! The Canberra Clowns won't.

Nothing this mad dictator says can be believed!
Alan B.

From keeping an eye on what has been going on in Ukraine since the US sponsored coup in 2014 that installed a government in Kiev which has been relatively obedient to directions from Washington, I am one who regards the Russian action to help the so called largely ethnic Russian "rebel" areas in Eastern Ukraine being attacked by Ukrainian government forces as their only appropriate option. The local Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics with Russian help will almost certainly achieve their military objectives but the Western "Empire of Lies" has been way in front with the propaganda war. With basically the US "Deep State" trying to keep the physical war going as long as possible to try and weaken Russia. In the longer term, seems almost certainly its actions will have overall the opposite effect though. They don't care about prolonging and increasing suffering of others by "Fighting to the last Ukrainian" The claims in this article about Russia using human shields is to detract from the very obvious indiscriminate use of them by the ruthless Azov battalion types especially within the Ukrainian armed forces. Using the propaganda technique of accusing others of doing dirty things to try and detract from the fact that the accuser is doing far worse themselves. "Alternative" media sources have pointed these out. Also, exposed Ukrainian propaganda "false flag" actions and faked footage. Nowadays cynics often look closely for clues on this and draw attention to suspect details. Gather there is plenty of this in recent reports of alleged Russian atrocities in Bucha, in area they have recently withdrawn from to concentrate on action in the eastern Donbass region.

Putin always was evil, is evil and always will be evil.

What's the point in challenging?

When the wolf accused the lamb: "you pollute my water", the lamb challenged the wolf:
"how could that be? you live upstream and I live donwstream, so whatever I do with the river's water cannot reach you".

So was the wolf impressed? No, he just said "don't waste your time, I will eat you anyway!"