Tank commander gets life sentence in first Russian war crimes trial

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Shishimarin did not deny that he shot the man. He said that the Russian army was retreating from the region, along with several others he had stolen a Volkswagen car. They planned on driving to catch up with their regiment.

While they drove, they spotted the man. The victim supposedly said he would “give them up.” At that point, another soldier told Shishimarin to shoot the elderly man. 

“He said I would be putting us in danger if I didn’t. I shot him at short range. It killed him,” he said.

According to the soldier on trial, the other soldier was not his commander. And he really was not obliged to follow the order. 

No forgiveness 

The widow Shelipova asked the court to  either release the soldier to  Russia as part of a prisoner exchange. Russia captured several hundred Ukrainian soldiers who had been under siege at the Azovstal steel mill. The defenders of  Mariupol  have all been registered as prisoners of war.

The Ukrainian widow told the BBC that she does feel sorry for Shishimarin. But she can not forgive him.