Russian Soldier Sentenced To Life In Ukraine’s First War Crimes Trial Since Invasion

A Ukrainian court sentenced Vadim Shishimarin, who had pled guilty to killing a 62-year old man in Ukraine's Sumy Oblast.

Sgt. Vadim Shishimarin of the Russian army appears at a sentencing hearing in Kyiv, Ukraine (Source: File photo/Getty)

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, a Russian tank commander on Monday was jailed for life by a court in Ukraine for killing a civilian at the first war crimes trial since the invasion. A Ukrainian court sentenced Vadim Shishimarin, who had pled guilty to killing a 62-year-old man in Ukraine's Sumy Oblast. This is the first case of war crimes since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February. Tank commander Vadim Shishimrin had demanded an apology after admitting to a crime in the killing of a 62-year-old man in north-eastern Ukraine. Vadim had received orders to blow up the man from the tank.

“The accused carried out the order and fired several shots and killed a civilian,” Judge Serhiy Agafonof said, while announcing the verdict, as reported by The Wall Street Journal “Shishimarin violated the laws and customs of war provided by the Geneva convention.”

Judge Agafonof said that he didn't trust Sgt. Shishimarin's testimony that he hadn't planned to kill Mr. Shelipov. He additionally said that, since none of the different troopers advising him to shoot were his superior, he might have ignored the request.

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“The order was illegal,” Judge Agafonof said. “Realizing that this order was clearly criminal, Shishimarin could have refused to comply…he had the opportunity to get out of the car, or to shoot nearby” and avoid hitting Mr. Shelipov.

Earlier, 21-year-old Russian Sergeant Vadim Shishimrin said in court, "I know you won’t be able to forgive me, but I do apologize nonetheless." Vadim said this while addressing the wife of a 62-year-old man whom Vadim had admitted to having killed him on the first day of the attack. A Russian soldier accused of openly killing civilians in Kyiv was tried.