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In the first war-crimes trial of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, 21-year-old Russian Soldier Vadim Shishimarin received a life sentence for shooting a 62-year-old Ukrainian civilian.
On February 28, 2022, Vadim Shishimarin's unit traveled in a car through the North-Eastern Sumy region when they encountered Oleksandr Shelipov, an unarmed civilian riding his bicycle. Allegedly, Shishimarin fired at Shelipov through the car window with his AK-47, killing him.
On May 18, after a trial, Shishimirin pleaded guilty to Shelipov's killing, marking the first war crime conviction in the conflict.
Vadim Shishimarin's confession and conviction
According to NPR, the prosecution had mounted a powerful case against the Russian soldier, including ballistics analysis and witness testimonies from Russian soldiers present during the shooting.
According to the Moscow Times, Shishimarin and other Russian soldiers voluntarily surrendered to Ukrainian forces. On May 4, the Ukrainian SBU posted a recorded video of the soldier confessing to the shooting.
On May 23, Vadim Shishimarin was sentenced to life imprisonment. CBS reported that the soldier claimed he had only been acting on orders during the trial but still made an apology to Kateryna Shelipova, the victim's widow.
He said:
"I was nervous the moment it happened. I didn’t want to kill. But it happened and I do not deny it."
Throughout the pre-trial investigations and court proceedings, it was revealed to the court that on the day of Shelipov's killing, Shishimirin's unit was in the process of retreating. To join other Russian units, they hijacked a private vehicle before driving to Chupakhivka, Sumy Oblast, where they encountered Shelipov.
Shishimarin alleged that his unit feared that Shelipov would alert Ukrainian forces to the presence of the Russian soldiers, which he cited as the reason that he was ordered to kill the civilian.
Ukrainian voices respond to the case
In a Facebook post, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova condemned Shelipov's death as a war crime rather than a legitimate act of killing within the State of conflict.
“[It is] a violation of the laws and customs of war, connected with premeditated murder.”
The Moscow Times reported that the defending lawyer, Victor Ovsyannikov, believes that the sentence is far too drastic. While he acknowledged Vadim Shishimarin's role in Shelipov's death, he insisted that because the shooting occurred during a conflict, it could not be considered murder.
He said:
“‘This is the most severe sentence and any level-headed person would challenge it."
However, according to Reuters, Judge Serhiy Agafonov was adamant that it remain unchanged.
"Given that the crime committed is a crime against peace, security, humanity and the international legal order ... the court does not see the possibility of imposing a (shorter) sentence of imprisonment on Shishimarin for a certain period."
During a notable moment in the trial, the victim's widow made a powerful impression upon the court as she admonished Vadim Shishimarin and the more significant conflict.
Mocking Putin's justification for the war, Kateryna Shelipova said:
"Tell me please, why did you [Russians] come here? To 'protect' us?"
She continued:
"Protect us from whom? Did you protect me from my husband, whom you killed?"
Meanwhile, Ukrainian protest and social media groups supported Vadim Shishimarin's life sentence. Netizens claim many citizens have been killed during the conflict, and the trial is gaining attention along with tales of Ukrainian resistance. Notably, the country has celebrated numerous celebrities and well-known public figures who have joined the fight against Russian forces.
According to NPR, Prosecutor General Venediktova had said the trial would be the first of many. Her office prepared cases against 41 Russian soldiers for various war crimes that violated Ukrainian and International Law.
On the other hand, Russia is also reportedly preparing to try members of the Ukrainian forces for war crimes against Russian troops.
