Russian Soldier sentenced in Kyiv, under war crimes

Sgt. Vadim Shishimarian, a Russian soldier, has been accused of a war crime. He shot a Ukrainian civilian in a village in the sunny northeastern region in the initial days of the war.

He has now pleaded guilty and has testified that he shot an unarmed man, which he initially didn't listen to. Still, after the seniors ordered for the second time to shoot him, he had to oblige the order, and the man was killed as he was speaking on a cellphone at that time, and he could pinpoint the exact location of the Russian forces to the Ukrainian forces.

But now, the Ukrainian court has sentenced this young 21-year Soldier to life in prison today for killing a Ukrainian civilian as this is the first war crime trial since Russia began invading Ukraine.

Judge Serhiy Agafonov has said that Shishimarin, carrying out a "criminal order" by a soldier of higher rank, had fired several shots at the victim's head from an automatic weapon.

"The court has decided: Shishimarian Vadim Evgenyevich…. Is found guilty… and sentenced him to life imprisonment," he announced.

He has also said that "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 shooter sentence of imprisonment on Shishimarin for a certain period."