The Russian soldier who was the first to be convicted of war crimes in Ukraine will no longer be sentenced to life in prison. Vadim Shishimarin, 21, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on appeal.
Shishimarin had to two months ago as the first Russian to appear in court since the invasion of Ukraine. He shot and killed an unarmed Ukrainian civilian a few days after the invasion.
The soldier confessed, but said he had been ordered by another soldier. According to the prosecutor, Shishimarin did not have to follow that order. The other soldier was not higher in rank. During the trial, Shishimarin asked the widow of the slain man if she could forgive him.
The case was of great symbolic importance for Ukraine. The Ukrainian authorities wanted to send a signal that they are held accountable for people who have committed war crimes in Ukraine.
When the court came to the sentence of life imprisonment, the soldier’s lawyer indicated that he wanted to appeal. He felt that his client had not received a fair trial because “the social pressure” was felt in the courtroom.
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