In the first war crimes trial in Ukraine in Kiev, 21-year-old Russian soldier Vadim Shishimarin pleaded guilty in court to killing a civilian in the Sumy region. The court will have to question not only Shishimarin, but also another Russian who was with him at the time of the murder of a 62-year-old. The news is reported by the Ukrainian media. Shishimarin is accused of shooting a 62-year-old unarmed civilian in the days following the start of the invasion in the northeastern village of Chupakhivka, and now faces life imprisonment.
The Ukrainian prosecutors, in short, go ahead and make it clear that other trials are on the way, so much so that under the investigators there are numerous other positions to be examined about other probable war crimes committed by Russian soldiers. The chief prosecutor of Kiev is increasingly investigating allegations that Russian troops have killed, tortured and ill-treated Ukrainian civilians. Iryna Venediktova said, in fact, that she is investigating more than 10,700 potential war crimes involving more than 600 suspects. According to the reconstruction in court, the soldier on February 28 stole a car to flee with four other Russian soldiers after their column was targeted by Ukrainian forces. Upon entering the village, they saw an unarmed resident riding a bicycle and talking on the phone. The suspect killed the civilian to prevent him from reporting on the presence of the Russians and fired several shots through the open window of the car the man died instantly. Shyshimarin is the first Russian soldier to go on trial since the invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow, for its part, has denied that its troops have targeted civilians. The trial is the first case of its kind since the invasion of Russia in February.