Earlier this year, US intelligence discovered that the Russian government planned to assassinate the chief executive of a powerful German arms manufacturer which has been producing artillery shells and military vehicles for Ukraine, according to five US and western officials familiar with the episode.
Serious question, is the CEO a legitimate military target according to international law?
Does Putin give half a shit about international law?
Obviously not lol but that isn’t relevant to my question.
I think probably not, they’re still a civilian.
That’s what I was thinking.
We had civilians driving supply trucks for the US military in Iraq. I’d consider them legitimate military targets. “Civilian” is a pretty nebulous concept when you’re performing integral work supplying an enemy in wartime. If it’s legit to target a weapons factory of an enemy nation, it seems just as legit to target the guy running it. You can’t hack the rules of war by privatizing your military.