Ukraine war: Russian soldier jailed for life over war crime
A captured Russian soldier has been handed a whole life sentence for killing a civilian in Ukraine – the first war crime trial since Russia’s invasion of the country.
Sgt Vadim Shishimarin, 28, was a Russian tank commander who killed civilian Oleksandr Shelipov, 62, in the village of Chupakhivka on 28 February.
The Russian admitted to shooting the civilian but said he had been acting on orders and asked Mr Shelipov’s widow for forgiveness.
Multiple other alleged war crimes are currently being investigated by Ukraine.
Ukraine War – Moscow denies civilians targetted
Moscow has denied its soldiers are targetting civilians while Ukraine says more than 11,000 crimes may have occurred.
The trial in Kyiv is being seen as Ukraine’s chance to prove that a Russian soldier killed a civilian with no regard for the rules of war.
BBC News says that ahead of the verdict, Shishimarin’s state-appointed defence lawyer told the BBC that no Russian official had been in touch with him.
President Putin’s spokesman said the Kremlin had “no information” about this case.
What happened to Oleksandr Shelipov?
Shishimarin and other soldiers were travelling in a car they had seized after their convoy had come under attack and they became separated from their unit.
They spotted Mr Shelipov – who was speaking on the phone, Shishimarin told the court, he then shot the civilian with an assault rifle.
Shishimarin says he was told to shoot him. His defence lawyer says Shishimarin only fired after twice refusing the order to shoot and only one out of three to four rounds had hit the target.
He said Shishimarin only obeyed orders because he feared for his own safety and he questioned if the defendant had intended to kill.
Kateryna Shelipova’s statement – ‘Protect us from who?’
The victim’s widow Kateryna Shelipova confronted the soldier. “Tell me please, why did you [Russians] come here? To protect us?” she asked.
“Protect us from whom? Did you protect me from my husband, whom you killed?”
He had no answer to that. He asked for the widow’s forgiveness earlier in the trial.
Mrs Shelipova told the BBC: “I feel very sorry for him but for a crime like that – I can’t forgive him.”
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