Ukraine Invasion: Life Imprisonment For Russian Soldier For Killing Civilian

Kyiv: A Ukrainian court on Monday sentenced a Russian soldier to life imprisonment for killing an unarmed Ukrainian civilian.

War crimes trial, following Russia’s decision to launch a military invasion against Ukraine three months ago, are underway.

Vadim Shishimarin, whose trial commenced on May 13, had pleaded guilty to killing 62-year-old Oleksandr Shelipov in northeastern Ukraine on February 28.

Judge Serhiy Agafonov, who delivered the sentence, said 21-year-old Vadim Shishimarin, a tank commander, carried out a ‘criminal order’ from a soldier of a higher rank by firing several shots at the victim’s head from an automatic weapon.

Shishimarin testified during his trial that he killed the victim on the orders of an officer who, he said, insisted that the man could tell the Ukrainian forces about the duo’s location.

The international community has accused Russia of committing war crimes at various times during the ongoing invasion. Among the most serious allegations of war crime against Russian forces was the massacre at Bucha, where about a thousand bodies were found.

Russia was stripped of its UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) primary membership following the alleged Bucha war crimes.

Kremlin has repeatedly denied charges of committing any war crime in Ukraine.