A Russian soldier, who admitted killing an unarmed civilian during Russia’s invasion in Ukraine, has been sentenced to life in prison, British public broadcaster BBC reports.
21-year-old tank commander Sgt Vadim Shishimarin, captured by Ukrainian forces, was found guilty of killing Oleksandr Shelipov, 62, in the north-eastern village of Chupakhivka on 28 February.
Court in Kyiv sentenced Shishimarin to life in prison after the admitted shooting Shelipov, but said he had been acting on orders and asked forgiveness of his widow.
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Shishimarin’s defence lawyer told the court on Friday, May 20, that Shishimarin had only fired after twice refusing to carry out the order to shoot and that only one out of three to four rounds had hit the target. The lawyer also said Shishimarin had fired the rounds out of fear for his own safety and he questioned whether the defendant had wanted to kill. The victim’s widow Shelipova said to the BBC: «I feel very sorry for him, but for a crime like that – I can’t forgive him.»
Prosecutors and courts in Ukraine and other countries are looking into a series of other alleged crimes in the country after Russia invaded it. Moscow has denied its troops deliberately killed civilians during the invasion, whereas Ukraine says more than 11,000 crimes may have occurred, BBC reports.
Ukrainian court delivers sentence in first war crime trial
