A Kyiv court docket sentenced Russian soldier Vadim Shishimarin, 21, to lifestyles in jail for killing a civilian in Sumy Oblast all through the Russian troops’ retreat on Feb. 28.
Shishimarin pleaded in charge to fatally taking pictures his sufferer, including that he didn’t wish to kill him. Whilst the protection requested for the soldier’s acquittal, the judges on Might 23 dominated that he’s in charge of a conflict crime and merits the most harsh to be had punishment.
“Even supposing the defendant stated he didn’t intend to kill, the court docket does no longer accept as true with those claims and believes there used to be an intent,” stated pass judgement on Serhiy Ahafonov.
Shishimarin is the primary Russian soldier convicted of a conflict crime in Ukraine.
Learn extra: First Russian soldier status trial for conflict crime in Ukraine asks for forgiveness, faces lifestyles imprisonment
As of Might 23, the Prosecutor Normal’s Place of job stated it used to be investigating 12,909 alleged Russian conflict crimes.
Prosecutor Normal Iryna Venediktova stated on Might 23 that 4,600 civilians, together with 232 youngsters, were killed in Ukraine since Russia started its all-out-war on Feb. 24. Consistent with the United Countries, a minimum of 2,345 civilians were killed in Ukraine.
Shishimarin shot 62-year-old Oleksandr Shelipov within the head within the village of Chupakhivka. He stated he used to be following a fellow soldier’s order.
The order constitutes a conflict crime, because it violates the Geneva Conventions, which offer protection to the civilian inhabitants all through conflict, Ahafonov stated. Additionally, the order got here from a soldier who used to be no longer Shishimarin’s commanding officer and whom he didn’t know.
“He used to be no longer obligated to hold out that order,” Ahafonov stated.
Shishimarin’s attorney, Viktor Ovsyannikov, who requested the court docket to acquit his defendant regardless of him pleading in charge, stated he would attraction.
“The movements of my defendant were judged incorrectly,” Ovsyannikov stated. The attorney believes Shishimarin didn’t devote a conflict crime however didn’t say what sort of crime he believes the soldier dedicated.
Learn extra: Protection asks court docket to acquit Russian soldier accused of conflict crimes
The court docket stated that it additionally selected the most harsh punishment for Shishimarin as a result of he breached the territorial integrity of Ukraine by way of taking part within the Russian invasion and killed a noncombatant senior citizen.
