A court in Kyiv has sentenced two more citizens of Ukraine - soldiers of the so-called "Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics" who fought against the Armed Forces of Ukraine - to 15 years in prison. Source: Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office Details: The Solomianskyi District Court of Kyiv found the men guilty of committing the crimes charged and sentenced them to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property.
Last month, an investigation on an alleged wartime rape was for the first time completed in Ukraine. Some say the alleged perpetrator, a Russian soldier, is dead while the prosecutor believes he is in Russia. Proceedings are held in absentia and behind closed doors. And there were initial issues about witness protection.
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.