Russian Soldier Sentenced To Life In Prison, Setting The Stage For Dozens More War Crimes Trials In Ukraine

Topline

Ukraine on Monday sentenced a 21-year-old Russian soldier to life in prison for killing a 62-year-old unarmed citizen, marking an end to the first war-crimes trial since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, as authorities say they are investigating tens of thousands of other cases, with dozens of suspects already identified.

Key Facts

A panel of judges found Sgt. Vadim Shishimarin guilty of premeditated murder and violating the “laws of customs of war,” Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said on Monday.

The sentencing comes after Shishimarin—during a trial that lasted a week—pleaded guilty and apologized to the wife of Oleksandr Shelipov, the man Ukrainian officials say he shot from an open window of a car in the northeastern region of Sumy in February.

Judge Serhiy Ahafonov said the court could not “recognize the sincerity of repentance” from Shishimarin, who argued he did not shoot Shelipov with intent to kill and was ordered to do so by a fellow soldier.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov told journalists Russia was “concerned about the fate of our citizen,” but did not have “many opportunities to protect his interests on the spot,” according to the New York Times.

Crucial Quote

“By this first trial, we are sending a clear signal that every perpetrator, every person who ordered or assisted in the commission of crimes in Ukraine shall not avoid responsibility,” Venediktova wrote in a tweet, according to BBC.

What To Watch For

The beginning of other war crimes trials. Authorities last week announced a district court in the Poltava region had heard a case of two Russian troops accused of shelling civilians in the Kharkiv region. The pair pleaded guilty, with their next hearing set for May 26, according to the Post. Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office did not respond to a request for comment from Forbes, but told the Wall Street Journal earlier this month it had identified 40 Russian military members suspected of committing war crimes, though only a few were in custody in Ukraine. Venediktova last month also filed charges against 10 soldiers from the 64th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade, a Russian army unit the government alleges was involved in the torture of civilians in Bucha. Those were the first war crime charges the country filed since hundreds of bodies were discovered in the northwest suburb of Kyiv after Russian forces left the area.

Key Background

Ukrainian authorities have said they are investigating more than 10,000 potential war crimes committed by more than 600 suspects during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The United Nations has launched its own investigation into possible war crimes, while the International Criminal Court launched a separate probe last month after dozens of its member states urged it to do so shortly after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. But that investigation could take many months, and the ICC cannot arrest Russian officials indicted on war crime charges without the help of other countries. Ukraine plans to try war crimes cases in domestic courts before issuing international arrest warrants, according to the Journal. Prosecutors had sought the harshest possible sentence of life in prison for Shishimarin, who was a member of a tank unit captured by Ukrainian forces. Vendiktova’s office said the soldier, who was in a car he stole with four other Russian troops, killed Shelipov—who was speaking on the phone and walking his bike—to stop him from notifying Ukrainian forces of their presence.

Further Reading

Russian Soldier Sentenced to Life in Prison in Ukraine War-Crimes Trial (Wall Street Journal)

Russian soldier asks victim’s family for forgiveness in Ukraine court (Washington Post)

Ukraine Begins First War Crimes Trial For Russian Soldier Accused Of Killing Unarmed Civilian (Forbes)