TOPIC: Russian Soldier Admits War Crimes

 In the first trial of its kind since the Russian invasion began, a Russian soldier has been accused of and subsequently admitted committing war crimes in Ukraine. 

The First of Many?

In what Ukrainian officials will hope is the first of many similar trials, a 21 year-old Russian soldier has pleaded guilty to murdering an unarmed civilian. The soldier, by the name of Vadim Shishimarin, admitted shooting an unarmed 62 year-old man in the head. Mr Shishimarin committed the crime in the Ukrainian Sumy region on February 28th 2022, four days in to Putin's invasion. After admitting guilt, he faces the possibility of life in jail. 

Vadim Shishimarin (left) being escorted in to the court room.

Mr Shishimarin was escorted in to the small court room in Kyiv in handcuffs, surrounded by heavily armed guards. Reporters at the scene stated that he looked nervous, keeping his head directed towards the floor. Also in the court room and very close to Mr Shishimarin, was the widow of the 62 year-old man he was accused of murdering in cold blood. She wiped tears from her eyes as Mr Shishimarin entered the court, before later bravely recounting the moment her husband was shot in the head. Later in to the trial the judge asked Mr Shishimarin if he accepted his guilt. "Yes," Shishimarin replied. When the judge sought to confirm if Shishimarin's guilt was total, he confirmed as such again. After the admission of guilt, the trial was adjourned, with the hearing expected to restart on Thursday in a larger courtroom. According to the prosecutors, Mr Shishimarin was in command of a unit within a larger tank division when they came under attack in the Sumy region. He, along with four other soldiers then stole a civilians car, travelling near to Chupakhivka where they encountered the 62 year-old victim upon a bicycle. Shortly after, Shishimarin murdered the civilian with a Kalashnikov assault rifle at close range.

The body bags of the many civilians found murdered by Russian forces in Bucha. 
(Image Credit: AP Photo)

For the Ukrainian's, this trial is a significant victory in what will be a long and difficult search for justice. The nation itself is a victim of a crime in the form of President Putin's illegal invasion, but Russian forces themselves have on many occasion broken the rules of conflict, violating the Geneva Convention and the most basic of human rights by committing heinous crimes against civilians. Following the opening of the trial, Ukraine's chief prosecutor, Iryna Venediktova tweeted, "By this first trial, we are sending a clear signal that every perpetrator, every person who ordered or assisted in the commission of crimes in Ukraine shall not avoid responsibility." Venediktova has formerly stated that her team was preparing war crime cases against 41 separate Russian soldiers. Ultimately, this may turn out to only be a fraction of the individuals trialled for war crimes, but much of that will depend on the outcome of the war itself. The most horrendous of Russian crimes, such as those seen in Bucha, were only truly discovered following the retreat of Russian forces and the recapture of the areas by the Ukrainians. For areas in the south and east, such as Mariupol and Kherson, this search for justice may take even longer. 

What the Russian reaction to the trial will be is hard to predict. Officially, Moscow denies targeting civilians and denies any claims of war crimes against it forces, still referring to the invasion as a 'special military operation.' Perhaps Russia will meet fire with fire, creating its own false allegations against Ukrainian prisoners. Perhaps the dropping of charges will be used as a bargaining chip in negotiations. Perhaps the trial will be used to fuel the mass of anti-Ukrainian propaganda back home. With Putin, it is hard to predict. What is for sure however, is that this will not be the last of the trials. Shishmarin's trial is being observed by investigators collecting evidence of possible war crimes to bring before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague. To assist in the matter, the ICC has sent 42 investigators, forensic experts and support staff to Ukraine, whilst Ukraine has set up its own team to preserve evidence of said war crimes in order to enable future prosecutions.