Russian soldier says he did not want to kill

STORY: Vadim Shishimarin, a tank commander, has pleaded guilty to killing Oleksandr Shelipov, a 62-year-old civilian, in the northeast Ukrainian village of Chupakhivka on Feb. 28.

“I sincerely repent. I was nervous at the time when it all happened, there were hostilities. I did not want to kill the victim, but that's how it happened and I'm not denying it,” Shishimarin said.

Shishimarin is accused of firing several shots with an assault rifle at a civilian's head from a car after being ordered to do so.

Defence lawyer Viktor Ovsiannikov, told the court that Shishimarin had only fired the rounds after twice refusing to carry out the order to shoot and that only one out of three-to-four rounds hit the target.

He said that Shishimarin had fired the rounds out of fear for his own safety and questioned whether the defendant had intended to kill.

"I conclude that Shishimarin fired aimless shots and did not intend to kill the civilian, and that he carried out the order not with the aim of killing the person, but formally, with the hope that the rounds would not hit them," Ovsiannikov said.

He said, "I personally think the Russian servicemen that were with Shishimarin, Makeev and Kalinin, should be in the dock right now, along with Kufakov, had he not died. And maybe even more the senior leadership of the other country that I think is guilty of unleashing this war, not this young man."

State prosecutor Andriy Synyuk said the arguments did not change the essence of the case.

The judge may hand down a verdict on Monday (May 23) when the court next convenes. The state prosecutor has asked the court to sentence Shishimarin to life in prison.