Ukraine convicts Russian soldier of war crimes

Ukraine today sentenced the first Russian soldier to life in prison for war crimes, in a warning to Russia, which is relentlessly attacking Donbas, where its troops have made little progress in their attempt to engulf Severodonetsk, the administrative center of the Lugansk region.

Vadim Shishimarin, 21, had pleaded guilty to the death of an unarmed civilian on a bicycle who was talking on the phone on February 28 in Chupakhivka, in the Sumy region of northeastern Ukraine.

The Solomyansky District Court in Kyiv found him guilty according to article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, relating to the mistreatment or death of prisoners of war or civilians.

First life sentence

It also considered that the soldier had committed premeditated homicide and applied the maximum sentence provided for this charge

The lawyer had asked for acquittal and alleged a series of extenuating circumstances. He assured that his client had acted in compliance with orders, although he admitted that these implied committing a “crime.”

According to his account of what happened, the soldier shot a civilian after receiving the order to do so and under threats from a superior officer.

The prosecution, for its part, argued that the soldier acted in full awareness of his actions.

The Kremlin assured that it will look for options to help the soldier, but admitted that it cannot do much “on the spot” in Ukraine.

The General Prosecutor’s Office has registered to date 13,341 alleged crimes of aggression and war by Russia in Ukraine, as indicated in its Telegram account.

According to the UN, so far almost 4,000 civilians have died in the Russian war in Ukraine, which will be three months old this Tuesday.

In the Kharkiv region alone, in eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian troops claim to have liberated 24 towns, the emergency services have recovered 63 bodies, according to the Ukrinform agency, which adds that some 500 buildings can no longer be rebuilt.

In addition, a Russian attack last week on the city of Desna in the northern Chernihiv region claimed 87 lives, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Russian ultranationalist deputy Leonid Slutsky, who was part of the negotiating team with Ukraine, said today that Russia has reached a “point of no return.”

Russian troops are attacking the entire battle line in Donbas, in particular in the Donetsk region, with tactical missile systems and aviation.

In the last 24 hours, Russia bombed 49 towns in Donetsk and Luhansk, killing nine people, according to the Ukrainian military command.

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scorched earth tactic

Russia resorts to the “scorched earth” tactic almost everywhere, but especially in Severodonetsk and Bakhmut, as they did in Popasna and Mariupol, Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said today.

“They just destroy the territory with aviation and artillery so that their troops can enter later,” he said.

“We have a difficult situation since the Russian Army is doing everything possible to take the Lugansk region,” said the governor of the province, Serhiy Gaidai.

In particular, the Russians are advancing in the direction of Severodonetsk, the administrative center of the province, were before the war there were more than 106,500 citizens and now only 10,000, he said.

“I emphasize that it is becoming more and more difficult to deliver products in the Lugansk region (…)”, he wrote. “Currently, only a few are being evacuated,” she added.

In the south, in turn, Russia builds second lines of defense and reinforces anti-aircraft systems, and the artillery group, according to the General Staff, which may indicate that the enemy sets the conditions for offensive actions, says the ISW.

Russia focuses all its efforts on encircling Severodonetsk and neighboring Lysychansk, at least from the south, to cut off the only road that connects these two cities with the rest of Ukraine, according to Kyiv.

According to the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian troops have made “limited advances north and west of Popasna,” which Russia recently took over.

The main battles are currently taking place around this town, where Russia claims to have broken through the Ukrainian defenses.

Russia’s efforts to cut off the highway connecting Severodonetsk with the rest of Ukraine, which failed two weeks ago when Ukrainian troops halted the Russian advance on the Severski Donets River, have been more successful in recent days.

Only in the Avdíivka, Kurakhiv, Novopavliv, and Zaporizhia directions is there a decrease in the intensity of hostilities, according to Kyiv.

In the south, in turn, Russia builds second lines of defense, and reinforces anti-aircraft systems and the artillery group, according to the General Staff, which may indicate that the enemy sets the conditions for offensive actions, says the ISW. (I)