The first Russian soldier to be charged with war crimes during the invasion of Ukraine has pleaded guilty.

The first Russian soldier to attempt war crimes in Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion pleaded guilty on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to all the charges against him.

Asked if they approve the whole of the law “without provision”, which includes allegationsOr war crime and premeditated murderPetty officer Of Vadim Shishimir Replied “Yes”.

Of Shishimar21 years old, A 62-year-old man has been charged with felony criminal mischief in northeastern Ukraine on February 28. A soldier from the Irkutsk region of Siberia has been sentenced to life in prison.

A test, The first of many in a short period of time is a test for the Ukrainian judiciary At a time when international organizations are conducting their own investigations into alleged abuses by Russian troops in the country.

“He understands the charges against him.”As stated before AFP His lawyer Viktor Ovsyanikov inadvertently revealed the security strategy. Ukrainian officials said He cooperated with the material investigation and admitted the facts.

These took place four days after the start of the Russian invasion.

According to the indictment, When his convoy was attacked, he commanded a division within an armored unit of Shishimir. Along with four other soldiers, he stole a vehicle to escape. Near the village of Subakivka in the Sumi region, They passed a 62-year-old man on a bicycle. “One of the soldiers ordered the accused to kill the civilian so he should not complain about them.”According to the Office of the Attorney General.

According to government accounts, The soldier fired a Kalashnikov from the window of the vehicle And “the man died instantly a few dozen meters from his home.”

Unprecedented process

In early May, Ukrainian authorities announced without arrest details with a video of the soldier saying he had been arrested He went to war in Ukraine “to support his mother financially”.

About the charges, Shishimarin explained: “I got an order to shoot, I shot him once. He fell and we went our way.

His lawyer says the case is complicated. “We do not have such allegations in Ukraine. We have no precedents, no judgments“But we will win,” Ovsyanikov said, assuring authorities that he did not find the accused violating their “rights.”

Ukrainian Attorney General Irina Venedikova He underscored the importance of the case for his country in a series of messages on Twitter. “We have opened more than 11,000 investigations into war crimes Another 40 suspects were detained, ”he wrote.

Waiting for them to come to court, he said, “With this first trial, we are sending a clear signal: the executioner, any person who ordered or assisted in committing crimes in Ukraine will not escape justice.”

Ukrainian authorities do not want to waste time, and on Thursday two more Russian soldiers will begin trying to drop shells on civilian infrastructure in the northeastern part of the country’s second-largest city, Kharkov.

(With information from AFP / by Charlotte Blandive)

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