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Ukraine jails Russian soldier for life at war crimes trial

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Russian serviceman Vadim Shishimarin attends a court hearing in the Solomyansky district court in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 23, 2022. Russian serviceman Vadim Shishimarin, 21, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the killing of an unarmed 62-year-old civilian man near Chupakha village in the Sumy area in late February 2022. EPA-EFE/Oleg Petrasyuk" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/overseas/05/23/20220523-russian-soldier.jpg"/><figcaption>Russian serviceman Vadim Shishimarin attends a court hearing in the Solomyansky district court in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 23, 2022. Russian serviceman Vadim Shishimarin, 21, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the killing of an unarmed 62-year-old civilian man near Chupakha village in the Sumy area in late February 2022. <em>EPA-EFE/Oleg Petrasyuk</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>KYIV—A Kyiv court on Monday found a 21-year-old Russian soldier who killed a civilian guilty of war crimes and handed him a life sentence, in the first verdict against Moscow&#x27;s forces since their invasion.</p><p>&quot;The court has found that (Vadim) Shishimarin is guilty and sentences him to life imprisonment,&quot; judge Sergiy Agafonov said.</p><p>The Russian sergeant admitted in court to killing 62-year-old Oleksandr Shelipov during the first days of the Kremlin&#x27;s offensive in northeast Ukraine.</p><p>He was also found guilty of premeditated murder. &quot;The murder was committed with direct intent,&quot; judge Agafonov said.</p><p>&quot;Shishimarin violated the laws and customs of war.&quot;</p><p>The soldier told the court last week that he shot Shelipov under pressure from another soldier as they tried to retreat back to Russia in a stolen car on February 28th, the fourth day of Moscow&#x27;s invasion.</p><p>Shishimarin apologized and asked Shelipov&#x27;s widow for forgiveness.</p><p>The landmark ruling is expected to be followed by others, with Ukraine opening thousands of war crimes cases since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent in his troops. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/05/23/22/fears-grow-that-russian-blockade-may-unleash-famine">&#x27;This is an atrocity&#x27;: fears grow that Russian blockade may unleash famine</a></li></ul><p>The youthful serviceman looked on from the glass defense box as the verdict was read out in Ukrainian. An interpreter translated for him into Russian.</p><p>Shishimarin&#x27;s lawyer Viktor Ovsyannikov said he will appeal the verdict.</p><p>&quot;This is the most severe sentence and any level-headed person would challenge it,&quot; Ovsyannikov, said, adding: &quot;I will ask for the cancellation of the court&#x27;s verdict&quot;.</p><p>He said that &quot;you can feel societal pressure&quot; on the court&#x27;s decision. </p><p>But prosecutor Andriy Syniuk said the ruling was fair.</p><p>&quot;I consider the verdict to be lawful and justified,&quot; he told reporters, saying he was &quot;completely satisfied&quot; with the outcome.</p><p>Rights organizations have expressed hope that Ukraine&#x27;s trials against Russian soldiers will be impartial and transparent.</p><p>The Kremlin said before the sentencing Monday that while it was &quot;concerned&quot; over Shishimarin&#x27;s fate, it was unable to provide on-the-ground assistance because there is no Russian diplomatic presence in Ukraine.</p><p>&quot;That doesn&#x27;t mean we won&#x27;t try through other channels. The fate of every Russian citizen is of paramount importance to us,&quot; Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dUii7Qc5pBE?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

The Russian sergeant admitted in court to killing a 62-year-old during the first days of the Kremlin's offensive in northeast Ukraine.