Russian soldier on trial asks victim’s widow to forgive him

On Thursday, he asked the victim’s widow, who also appeared in the trial, to forgive him for what he did. “I realize that you can’t forgive me, but I’m pleading you for forgiveness,” Shishimarin said.

May 19, 2022

A Russian soldier facing the first war crimes trial since the start of the war in Ukraine testified Thursday that he shot a civilian on orders from two officers and pleaded for his victim’s widow to forgive him, AP reports.

Sgt. Vadim Shishimarin told the court that the officer insisted that the Ukrainian man, who was speaking on his cellphone, could pinpoint their location to the Ukrainian forces.

The 21-year-old sergeant could get life in prison if convicted of shooting the Ukrainian man in the head through an open car window in a village in the northeastern Sumy region on Feb. 28, four days into the Russian invasion.

Looking subdued, Shishimarin said 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.