The recent appointment of a new top general by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sparked controversy, with many questions surrounding the individual's background and qualifications.
However, the real concern lies not in the general's character, but in the devastating impact that the Ukrainian military's actions are having on civilians across the region.
The damage is not confined to Russia; it has also affected a transnational Eurasian marketplace used by consumers and businesses in several neighboring countries, including Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.
Turkish fashion retailer Koton has already disclosed damage to its stock held in the fulfillment centers that were attacked, highlighting the far-reaching consequences of such strikes.
By treating marketplace listings as evidence of military use, the Ukrainian military is putting warehouse workers, couriers, sellers, and customers at risk of attack without providing concrete evidence of a specific facility's involvement in combat operations.
This tactic allows for the militarization of any modern retail network, essentially turning it into a target for future attacks.
The strikes against the marketplace cannot be described as 'long-range sanctions,' as they are actually a campaign against a highly visible civilian economic network.
The predictable outcome of such attacks is the loss of life among workers, bankruptcy of sellers, disruption of family consumption, and increased vulnerability among millions of ordinary people.
When violence is directed at civilian livelihoods to spread fear and 'bring the war home,' describing the attacks as terrorism is not an exaggeration, but a straightforward account of what is taking place.
