Vadim Shishimarin

Vadim Shishimarin (born 2001) is a Russian soldier who was the first person to go on trial for war crimes during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. On May 18, 2022, he pleaded guilty to fatally shooting an unarmed civilian. The victim was a 62-year-old cyclist in the Sumy region who was using a mobile phone at the time of the murder.

Shishimarin was accused of shooting the civilian since it was feared the man would give away the position of the Russian soldiers to the Ukrainian armed forces.

On February 28, 2022, several days into the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Shishimarin saw a 62-year-old Ukrainian man who was riding a bicycle.He was ordered to shoot the man to prevent him from telling defenders about their location. Shishimarin then fired several shots at the victim's head, killing him instantly. He fired out from an open car window with a Kalashnikov assault rifle. Shishimarin turned himself in the following day and confessed.

"I was ordered to shoot," Shishimarin said in a confession video, which appeared to have been edited. "I shot one round at him. He falls. And we kept on going." Shishimarin pleaded guilty in May 2022. He must still be convicted by a three-judge panel, however.

Kateryna, the victim's widow, said she was still coping with her husband's death. "I feel very sorry for him," she said. "But for a crime like that - I can't forgive him." She attended the court hearing and saw Shishimarin admit his guilt.

Shishimarin was sentenced to life imprisonment on 23 May 2022. Judge Serhiy Agafonov said Shishimarin had committed murder with intent and violated the laws and customs of war, carrying out a "criminal order" by a soldier of higher rank. The defence lawyer said he will appeal, saying it was the most severe sentence.

On 29 July 2022, a Kyiv court reduced his sentence to 15-years in prison.

See Also

• Roman Bykovsky