three months ago, unleashing a brutal conflict that has led to accusations of atrocities, left thousands dead, driven millions from their homes and flattened whole swaths of cities.
Shishimarin, 21, pleaded guilty last week to shooting a 62-year-old man in the head in a village in the northeastern Sumy region in the early days of the war. He apologised to the man's widow in court. But Aarif Abraham, a UK-based human rights lawyer, said the trial the was conducted "with what appears to be full and fair due process," including access to a court-appointed attorney.
Shishimarin had told the court that he at first disobeyed his immediate commanding officer's order to shoot the unarmed civilian but had no other choice but to follow the order when it was repeated forcefully by another officer.Speaking to reporters before the sentencing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow was concerned about the Russian soldier's fate but was unable to defend his interests "on the ground.