This commentary, published in the Ukrainian outlet NV, examines the Russian claim that Russia has historically fought only defensive wars. Written by Igor Garin, a physicist and writer, the piece brings together direct quotations from Russian military commanders and imperial officials who participated in the occupation of the Caucasus, including Generals Tsitsianov, Bulgakov, Yermolov, Sleptsov, Fadeyev, and Venyukov, as well as a directive from Tsar Nicholas I. In their own words, these figures describe policies of destruction, forced displacement, and extermination directed at the peoples of the Caucasus. The piece also includes a passage from Tolstoy's Hadji Murat and a firsthand account by French observer Fonvielle on the deportations of 1863–1864. 

The commentary includes several quotations from Russian military commanders describing violence targeting Circassian and other Caucasian civilians. The quotations cover the period from 1804 to 1865 and touch on a range of Caucasian peoples, with particular attention to the Kabardians and the expulsion of the western Circassians. They point to specific documents and figures that can be pursued in archival and bibliographic research.