Life sentence requested for Russian soldier in Kyiv war crimes trial

Ukraine says it has opened thousands of war crimes cases since Russia's invasion

Ukrainian prosecutors on Thursday requested a life sentence for the first Russian soldier on trial for war crimes since the start of Moscow's invasion, AFP journalists in the courtroom reported.

The prosecution asked the judge to sentence the 21-year-old Russian army sergeant to "life imprisonment" for killing 62-year-old civilian Oleksandr Shelipov in the first days of the Russian offensive. 

Kyiv says it has opened thousands of war crimes cases since Moscow launched its invasion.

Addressing his victim's widow, Kateryna Shelipova, Shishimarin said: "I know that you will not be able to forgive me, but nevertheless I ask you for forgiveness." 

- 'I shot him at short range' -

"As we were driving, we saw a man. He was talking on the phone. He said he would give us up."

"He started to say in a forceful tone that I should shoot," he told the court.

Judges questioned him in Ukrainian, with an interpreter translating for Shishimarin -- who is from the Siberian region of Irkutsk -- into Russian. 

The soldiers then took a civilian captive as they retreated into the forest, Shishimarin said, claiming they did not harm him.

- 'What did you come here for?' -

"What did you come here for, to free us from what?" Shelipova asked the soldier, referring to Moscow's claims that its troops are liberating Ukrainian territories.

She then saw a car and "a young man in it with a rifle. I remember him well", she said, referring to Shishimarin.

She said the incident took place around 11.00 am. 

Another captive Russian soldier who was in the car, 20-year-old Ivan Matysov, told the court that the third unknown serviceman in the car "shouted in a commanding tone" to Shishimarin to shoot the civilian.

The Kremlin on Wednesday said it was not informed of Shishimarin's case. His lawyer said he had not had any contact with Russian officials.

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Originally published as Life sentence requested for Russian soldier in Kyiv war crimes trial