On July 29, the Kyiv Court of Appeal reduced to 15 years the sentence of the first Russian soldier tried for war crimes in Ukraine since February 24. Vadim Shishimarin had been sentenced In May to life imprisonment. We met with Viktor Ovsyannikov, the man who agreed to defend this emblematic case.
Under normal circumstances, this trial could have lasted several years. The first war crime trial of a Russian serviceman was one of intense interest and rare speed in Ukraine. A young sergeant, Vadim Shishimarin, who pleaded guilty to the murder of a civilian, was sentenced yesterday to life in jail. Both Ukrainian society and the legal system appeared to be unprepared, says Irina Salii from “Sudovyi Reporter” (The Judicial Reporter), who is an experienced court reporter in Ukraine.
The widow asked the Russian soldier what he felt when he killed her husband. "Fear," he said. "I understand you probably won't be able to forgive me. But I ask for your forgiveness."
The widow asked the Russian soldier what he felt when he killed her husband. "Fear," he said. "I understand you probably won't be able to forgive me. But I ask for your forgiveness."