Ukraine sentences Russian soldier Vadim Shishimarin to life in prison for war crimes

Vadim Shishimarinthe first Russian soldier tried in Ukraine for war crimes, he was sentenced today to life in prison for the murder of a civilian in the Sumy region, in the north of the country, reports the Ukrainian portal Ukrinform.

Shishimarin21, had pleaded guilty at the opening of his trial last week for the death of a civilian on February 28, four days after the start of the Russian invasion.

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The District Court of Solomianskyin Kyivdeclared the accused guilty according to article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukrainerelating to the mistreatment or death of prisoners of war or civilians.

He also considered that The soldier had committed premeditated homicide and applied the maximum sentence for this charge, life imprisonment.

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The lawyer had requested free acquittal for his client and alleged a series of extenuating circumstances due to the circumstances of the armed intervention.

The prosecution, for its part, argued that the soldier acted in full awareness of his actions and requested the maximum sentence for him.

The military, commander of unit 32010 of the 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Armored Division of the Moscow Regionoffered at trial a full statement of what happened, including how he shot his victim, a 62-year-old man.

The prosecution argued in its indictment that the defendant had killed an unarmed man who was riding a bicycle on the road in the town of Chupajivka.

After an attack by the Ukrainian Army, the column that the commander was part of had disbanded and the accused, in the company of four other soldiers, fled in a confiscated civilian vehicle.

Arriving in Chupajivka, they met the victim, who was talking on the phone, and Shishimarin shot him in the head with a machine gun to prevent him from ratting them out to Ukrainian troops, according to the prosecution.

Later, the commander was captured by the kyiv forces, and on May 4, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) published a video in which he confessed to having shot a civilian.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I did not refuse to comply with the order and I am willing to accept the sentence imposed on me “the soldier had declared during the trial.

He also stated that he first refused to shoot the civilian, but then ended up obeying the order. The group, made up of five soldiers, feared that the civilian was going to give away his position over the phone.

From Moscow it has been criticized that the military man did not have the defense of a Russian lawyer.

After hearing the sentence, Shishimarin’s lawyer stated that he will file an appeal against the sentence imposed.

Source: Elcomercio

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