Ukraine, Russian military on trial for war crimes: it is the first time

The first trial of a Russian soldier, Sergeant Vadim Shyshimarin, 21, accused of committing war crimes, opens in Ukraine. In particular, Shyshimarin is accused of having shot a 62-year-old unarmed civilian in the head from the window of his car in the north-eastern village of Chupakhivka. He faces life imprisonment under the Ukrainian Penal Code. Shyshimarin has been captured and is the first Russian soldier to go on trial since the invasion of Ukraine. Kiev’s chief prosecutor is increasingly investigating allegations that Russian troops have killed, tortured and ill-treated Ukrainian civilians. Attorney General Iryna Venediktova’s office said she is investigating more than 10,700 potential war crimes involving more than 600 suspects.