A 21-year-old Russian soldier has pleaded guilty to killing a 62-year-old Ukrainian civilian in northeastern Ukraine in the first war crimes trial between Ukraine and Russia.

A court in the Kiev region on Wednesday began the first hearings on war crimes against Vadim Shishimari, who was part of the Russian occupying forces that entered Ukraine on February 24 - and this case is said to have a value of great symbolic for Ukraine.

The 21-year-old Russian tank commander, who was detained in Ukraine, is facing charges for killing a 62-year-old Ukrainian civilian on February 28, just 4 days after the start of the war, in the village of Chupakhivka in northeastern Ukraine, Telegrafi reports.

Captured Russian soldier, 21-year-old Vadim Shishimarin, was charged with the murder of a 62-year-old civilian in the first war crimes trial held by a Ukrainian court arising from Russian invasion https://t.co/4aijRJp6hk pic .twitter.com / S2kPpQmX2P

- Reuters (@Reuters) May 13, 2022

He pleads guilty before the court, and if convicted then will face life imprisonment.

Ukrainian prosecutors say Shishimar and four other Russian soldiers fired at the car carrying the 62-year-old civilian and tried to steal his car so they could leave the scene, as their convoy was targeted by Ukrainian forces. .

They said Shishimarin was ordered by another soldier to kill the civilian so that he would not reveal their position to the Ukrainian forces, and he fired several shots in his direction, shooting him in the head several times and killing him in place.

The Ukrainian government has accused Russia of atrocities and brutality against civilians during the occupation and said it has so far uncovered over 10,000 pieces of evidence of war crimes.

Russia has denied allegations of targeting and killing civilians, and has also denied allegations of war crimes, saying Ukraine was staging those crimes to blame Russia.

/ Telegraphy /