A Ukrainian court on Monday sentenced a 21-year-old Russian soldier to life in prison for committing war crimes during Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, per multiple reports.
For the record: It's believed to be the first war crimes trial since Russia's invasion began in February.
Driving the news: Vadim Shishimarin was found guilty last week of firing several shots at and killing unarmed 62-year-old resident Oleksandr Shelipov, who was riding a bicycle by the roadside in a Sumy village near the Russian border.
- Shelipov "died on the spot just a few meters from his home," said Ukraine’s prosecutor general, Iryna Venediktova, per the Washington Post.
- Shishimarin admitted that he fatally shot Shelipov, but said that he was following orders.
The big picture: Venediktova said last month that her office had opened 5,600 cases of alleged war crimes by Russian soldiers since the start of the invasion.
- Prosecutors have also filed criminal charges against 10 Russian soldiers accused of war crimes in Bucha, where at least 300 Ukrainians were tortured and killed.
Go deeper... What counts as a war crime and why they're so hard to prosecute
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
