INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The first Russian soldier on trial in Ukraine for war crimes during Moscow's invasion pleaded guilty on Wednesday, facing possible life
imprisonment in Kyiv.Asked in court if he was guilty of the allegations, including war crimes and premeditated murder, 21-year-old sergeant
Vadim Shishimarin responded "yes."The captured soldier is accused of killing a 62-year-old civilian in northeast Ukraine in the first days
28.Ukraine says Shishimarin was commanding a unit in a tank division when his convoy came under attack.According to prosecutors, he and four
other soldiers stole a car, and as they travelled near the village they encountered the civilian on a bicycle.Shishimarin was told to kill
the probe, he said.The Kremlin earlier said it was not informed about the case, saying Moscow's "ability to provide assistance due to the
lack of our diplomatic mission there is also very limited."The trial will be rapidly followed by others, with another two Russian soldiers
expected to go on trial in central Ukraine on Thursday.Kyiv says it has opened thousands of ongoing cases into alleged crimes committed by
Moscow's forces since their invasion launched on Feb
24.The cases will test the Ukrainian justice system at a time when international institutions are conducting their own investigations into
abuses allegedly committed by Russian forces