Russian in war-crime trial asks forgiveness

The first Russian soldier on trial for war crimes in Ukraine asked for forgiveness in a Kyiv court yesterday as he told how he killed a civilian early in Moscow's invasion.

"I know you will not be able to forgive me, but nevertheless I ask you for forgiveness," said Vadim Shishimarin, 21, addressing the wife of a 62-year-old civilian he admitted killing.

The sergeant faces life imprisonment for war crimes and premeditated murder.

He told the court he shot the man as he and several other Russian soldiers were retreating and trying to rejoin their units. They were in a civilian car, a Volkswagen, which they hijacked.

"We wanted to get to where our army was and go back to Russia," Shishimarin said. "As we were driving we saw a man. He was talking on the phone. He said he would give us up."

Shishimarin said another soldier in the car told him "in a forceful tone I should shoot. He said there was danger if I didn't."

So he shot the man at short range.

The soldier, dressed in a gray and blue hoodie, looked down as Kateryna Shelipova testified on her husband's death. Shishimarin's arrest was announced earlier this month alongside a video in which he said he was fighting to "support his mother financially."

Other Russian soldiers are expected to stand trial in Ukraine soon as Kyiv says it has opened thousands of war crimes cases since Moscow launched its invasion on February 24.