Russian soldier pleads guilty in first war crimes trial of Ukraine conflict - BBC News

A Russian soldier has pleaded guilty to killing an unarmed civilian, in Ukraine's first war crimes trial since the war began.

Vadim Shishimarin admitted shooting a 62-year-old man, who was allegedly on a bicycle, near the village of Chupakhivka in the eastern Sumy region of Ukraine.

The 21-year-old faces life in prison. Prosecutors say more trials are to come, after identifying other potential war crimes committed by Russian soldiers.

Moscow has denied its troops have targeted civilians.

BBC correspondent Sarah Rainsford reports from Kyiv.

#Ukraine #Russia #BBCNews

[matslarsson]

He has taken something that can't be taken back. Not according to a soldier's duty, but as a conscious criminal act. He needs to face consequences of his actions.

[celiaowen]

The story we heard from the Germans 70 years ago. ‘I was following orders’. ‘We didn’t know what was going on’. No courage no morality

[chao.m]

I hope the Ukrainian prosecutors deal with this case wisely. He is responsible for what he did, but he has far worse higher ups who won’t have to face trials

[robertbones]

I want to see full accountability for the war crimes, but it's the higher ups who are are really deserving of life sentences. This is just a low rank soldier.

[hourbee]

Put the thousands of captured Russian soldiers on trial.

[embreis]

wait, his fleeing unit commandeered a random car and while driving past an elderly civilian on his phone this sergeant thought shooting this man in the head four times was in accordance with the orders he was given? who thinks Russian commanders would really issue orders like that?

[Featherface]

What is there to be fair about? He pled guilty to shooting an innocent man in cold blood. He should face punishment to the full extent of the law and that will be letting him off lightly.

[mudmen]

I understand people in the comments need to feel some amount of sympathy for this man, sympathy, and compassion is what makes us human. We rationalize what he did by saying things like "he was ordered to do this" but that is the comfortable lie that we tell ourselves. The truth is that he didn't have to follow those orders, no soldier is required to follow an illegal order, he could have surrendered, he could have run away, he could have deliberately jammed his gun, he could have simply refused, HE DIDNT. He murdered someone in cold blood, just like so many other russian soldiers. The amount of men women and children murdered by russian conscripts may never be known, but there are mass graves, where not one or two were murdered but dozens... THE DEAD DESERVE OUR SYMPATHY, THE MURDERERS DO NOT

[fernandoferreira]

how many American and British soldiers were convicted of war crimes?

[jessicalamb]

Russian authorities did not even contact this boy's lawyer. How cold, cruel and unaccountable even to their own citizens !!!
I hope all those russian soldiers who raped and brutalised women in Bucha will be caught and prosecuted too.
Good always prevails over evil....in God's perfect time.

[Mark-jqre]

Too long Russian soldiers have been able to do anything, finally there’s some justice for the dead

[MrTrojis]

I get they need to hold him responsible and sentence him harshly to set an example, but I also dont feel his culpability matches a sentence of life. He was ordered by a superior officer in a war to commit this crime. The officer is more culpable imo.

The soldier should pay but I hope some mercy can be extended to him maybe later in life. Especially since he pleaded guilty and took accountability for what he did...

[grigorig]

He is a captured soldier. How do I know that his captors didn’t torture him to claim things. This man should be afforded the Geneva convention of POW. In war bad things happen and the truth is the first victim. (I am not from Europe).

[freesaxon]

Wouldn't it be FANTASTIC if during every war this happened ! The fact is it never will.

[GameArchiver]

Sounds a bit like an unfair trial to me. He doesn't even have an attorney.

[flowerenki]

I wonder if his mother know that her child is still alive? Or was she told he's dead??? I know this is a war and any mother knows she don't want her child to die.

[cosmiccreator]

So much sadness for all involved. My heart is with you humanity. 🙏🌻🕊

[boredpinoy]

War crimes cannot be tried unilaterally since there is the bias on judgement especially when the trial is organized by one of the parties in the war where the war crime supposedly happened, to make a war crime trial legitimate there must be international court presence or other country representatives like a tribunal, otherwise the defendant would be presumed to be under duress during the trial

[mahbubdawood]

It's usually common thing when war take place in between

[omidpourhossein]

Honestly, I'm starting to admire the Russians. You can tell that they have really begun to master military failure as an art form. It takes years of dedication and motivation to learn how to fail so spectacularly.