The first Russian soldier to face trial for war crimes in Ukraine has been sentenced to life in prison for killing an unarmed civilian.
Vadim Shishimarin, a 21-year-old sergeant, was convicted of shooting 62-year-old Oleksandr Shelipov in the head on Feb. 28, days after the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to multiple reports.
Shishimarin admitted to killing Shelipov, but said he was only following orders. He pleaded guilty to violating the laws and customs of war under Ukraine's criminal code.
According to NBC News, the presiding judge said the Russian soldier was well aware that the victim was a civilian and did not have to carry out what he called "a criminal order" to shoot him.
Prosecutors said Shishimarin was ordered to shoot Shelipov, who was walking his bicycle and talking on a cell phone, to stop him from telling Ukrainian forces about the Russians' location, CBS News reported.
A Kremlin spokesperson told The Washington Post that Russia was "concerned" about Shishimarin's fate in prison.
"Unfortunately, we are unable to defend his interests on the ground. This is due to the de facto lack of operations of our institutions [in Ukraine]. But this does not mean we will stop considering ways to continue our efforts through other channels," Dmitry Peskov said.
Shishimarin is the first Russian soldier to face prosecution for war crimes but will likely not be the last. Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said in mid-May that the country had 11,000 ongoing cases of war crimes and dozens of suspects identified.
"We will ensure that these cases are brought to their logical end," Venediktova tweeted. "This is a responsibility that we are carrying on our shoulders in relation to current and future generations. We allowed Russia way too long to go unpunished for its criminal actions."
Venediktova added that Shishimarin's trial sends "a clear signal that every perpetrator, every person who ordered or assisted in the commission of crimes in Ukraine shall not avoid responsibility."
Dapo Akande, an international law professor at the University of Oxford, said Ukraine's prosecution of war crimes is about more than holding guilty individuals responsible.
"They're trying to create a sort of historical narrative that 'This is what happened, and we want to show the world that this is what happened,'" Akande told NBC. "I would imagine that Ukraine would consider this to be the first of a number of trials, which they would hope to hold over the next few years. And it will be years, I think."
Related
Related
