Ukraine announces first war crime trial since the invasion began

Ukraine will put a Russian soldier on trial for war crimes for the first time since the invasion began, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova announced Wednesday.

According to The Washington Post, the soldier — 21-year-old Vadim Shishimarin — allegedly fired several rounds from a car with his Kalashnikov rifle, killing a 62-year-old Ukrainian man who was pushing his bike by the side of the road.

The prosecutor's office found Shishimarin to be "in violation of the laws and customs of war combined with premeditated murder." He faces 10 to 15 years in prison.

Last month, Ukrainian prosecutors filed charges against 10 members of the Russian military in connection with the atrocities committed in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, but none of the individuals charged are in Ukrainian custody.

War crimes expert Robert Goldman told the Post that it is unusual to put captured enemy soldiers on trial for war crimes, especially in the middle of a war. Ukraine's justice system does have the authority under international law to prosecute enemy soldiers who commit war crimes, but prisoners cannot be prosecuted simply for participating in the invasion.

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