Russian Pleads Guilty to Killing Civilian in First Ukraine War-Crimes Trial
Russian army Sergeant Vadim Shishimarin at his court hearing in Kyiv on Wednesday.EFREM LUKATSKY/ASSOCIATED PRESS
KYIV, Ukraine--A 21-year-old Russian tank-unit officer pleaded guilty to shooting an unarmed civilian in Ukraine’s first war-crimes trial since Russia's invasion of the country.
The plea came after Ukraine’s prosecutor general office last week filed an indictment on charges of violating the laws and customs of war against the tank-unit commander Vadim Shishimarin. He could face life imprisonment.
Mr. Shishimarin is accused of firing several shots from a Kalashnikov rifle at an unarmed 62-year-old man, who died on the spot a short distance from his home in the town of Chupakhivka in Ukraine’s Sumy region in the early days of the war.
The judge on Wednesday asked Mr. Shishimarin if he admitted to the charges against him, violations of the laws of war.
Mr. Shishimarin said yes. Asked if he was sure, he said he was.
He will remain in custody for the duration of the trial.
Ukrainian prosecutors say they are investigating more than 10,700 potential war crimes involving more than 600 suspects. In an interview earlier this month, Iryna Venediktova, Ukraine’s prosecutor general, said about 40 Russian soldiers suspected of war crimes had been identified, but only a few of them were in custody.
Moscow has denied committing war crimes or targeting civilians.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he still had no information about the trial. The lack of a diplomatic mission in Ukraine also curtailed Moscow’s ability to assist Mr. Shishimarin, he said.
“We find it impossible and unacceptable to throw around such terms,” Mr. Peskov said in reference to accusations of war crimes against Russia.
“Many of the cases Ukraine is talking about are clearly fakes. The most egregious ones are staged, staged events that have already been reasonably proven by our experts,” Mr. Peskov said.
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