War in Ukraine, the first Russian soldier is at the stand in Kiev for crimes

The trial of 21-year-old Russian sergeant Vadim Shyshimarin, the first to be formally accused of a war crime, namely shooting a 62-year-old unarmed civilian in the head in the north-eastern village of Chupakhivka, has begun in Kiev. Ukraine. He faces life imprisonment. Shyshimarin has been captured and is the first Russian soldier to go on trial since the invasion of Ukraine. Kiev’s chief prosecutor is increasingly investigating allegations that Russian troops have killed, tortured and ill-treated Ukrainian civilians. Attorney General Iryna Venediktova’s office said it 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.