James Denselow

Another Ukraine landmark has been made infamous by the carnage of Russia’s invasion. The town of Bucha and its less than 40,000 residents could never have imagined that they would find themselves in the eye of this terrible storm. The 13th of September will mark Bucha Day later this year, but celebrations will be marked by only those who survived perhaps the most wanton acts of aggression of the conflict to date.

Strong language and accusations of war crimes and genocide have been used since the start of events over 40 days ago now. Yet the seeming inevitability of cities being left reeling from the shells of heavy artillery is a stark contrast to the civilians who’ve suffered and died in Bucha. Bodies left lying in the street, half naked civilians handcuffed and hidden in mass graves or hastily left on burning tyres, perhaps to hide the evidence of what happened to them.

Reports from those in the town who’ve survived spoke of different types of Russian troops adopting vastly different approaches to Ukrainian civilians. Some were polite, knocked on doors and shared rations. As the battle turned against the Russian force’s brutality was unleashed and random killings and systematic executions terrorised the population. Evidence as to what exactly happened is not of course fully known yet.

However, social media has put the story out into the open shortly after Ukrainian forces took back the town. Experts have ascertained that the invasion of Ukraine is not the first social media war, but it is the most viral. Some 75% of Ukrainians use the internet whereas when Russian bombers began pounding Syria only 30% of the population was online.

Media was able to access Bucha soon after its liberation and quickly verified parts of the story. Seeing the state of bodies for themselves and the state of decomposition enabled journalists to confirm almost immediately that they’d died during Russia’s occupation of the town, torpedoing the narrative coming out of Moscow that this was a staged event or that the civilians had been killed by Ukrainian forces.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said images of some 300 dead Ukrainian civilians found in the town of Bucha after Russian troops left were a "punch in the gut" and those responsible for any war crimes must be held accountable. French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed support for banning Russian oil and coal as part of a new round of sanctions against Russia, after reports emerged from Bucha. Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed not to rest ‘until justice is served’ as he condemned Russia’s ‘despicable attacks’ on Ukrainian civilians in Bucha.

Yet accountability for crimes in war are the exception, not the rule. Those that have managed to find resolution often do so well after the event itself. Don’t expect Russian soldiers who served in Bucha appearing in the Hague anytime soon. Whilst judicial accountability may be a distant prospect there can be little doubt that the scenes from Bucha will harden positions around countries who’ve supporting Ukraine with weapons and who are pursuing stringent sanctions against Russia.

President Zelensky was quick to visit the town amidst tight security. He condemned Putin’s forces for bringing ‘evil to our land’. The events in Bucha, whether they are defined as a massacre or a slow-motion slaughter, will likely solidify Ukrainian resistance to further Russian operations in the east and the south of the country. It could also see a more rapid movement of vulnerable civilians to the west as people avoid finding themselves under a Russian yolk that can have such terrible consequences.

As President Macron alluded to, Bucha may speed up the rush that European states are making to wean themselves off reliance on Russian gas. European civilians themselves may be more willing to put up with higher prices and even the rationing of energy in light of the Bucha images being shared far and wide. Indeed, the events in the small town of Bucha show how all parts of a vast military operation are open to scrutiny that is amplified by the tools of modern communications with huge reverberations in the politics of the conflict at large.

BY: James Denselow

Putin & the global energy crisis UK car industry suffers weakest March for new sales since 1998

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”