Russia-Ukraine conflict: Two Russian soldiers convicted of war crimes in Ukrainian court

In the midst of Russia’s war with Ukraine, prosecutors are already looking to try Russian soldiers that were captured and detained by Ukrainian troops. A court in Ukraine has convicted two Russian soldiers for committing war crimes in the Kharkiv region.

This week, a court in Ukraine convicted two Russian soldiers for shelling a civilian area in the Kharkiv region. The soldiers were each sentenced to over 11 years in prison. This marks the second verdict handed to Russian soldiers that were detained by Ukrainian troops since the invasion in February.

Prosecutors requested a prison sentence of 12 years each for Alexander Bobikin and Alexander Ivanov. Bobikin and Ivanov’s defense requested leniency as both soldiers were following orders and had shown remorse for their actions. Both were charged for “violating the laws and customs of war.”

Both soldiers acknowledged being part of the unit that fired at targets in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region from the Belgorod region in Russia. The shelling destroyed the area of Derhachi but did not cause any casualties, according to prosecutors. Bobikin and Ivanov were arrested when they allegedly attempted to cross the border to continue the shelling.

This follows the conviction of Ukrainian courts last week of Russian soldier Vadim Shishimarin, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for killing a Ukrainian civilian. Shishimarin was accused of killing 62-year-old Oleksandr Shelipov by shooting him in the head in Ukraine’s Sumy region at the early onset of the war.

Shishimarin’s lawyer said they plan to appeal the verdict, and more trials are expected to take place in both Ukraine and Russia.

Meanwhile, the US will be sending Ukraine advanced rocket systems as Kyiv continues to ask the West for more weapons and ammunition to strike back against Russian forces.

The rocket systems will be part of the new set of military assistance by Washington to Ukraine worth $700 billion. The new package will include helicopters, Javelin anti-tank weapon systems, tactical vehicles, and spare parts, among others.

The US wants to help Ukraine defend itself but has stopped short of sending Ukraine weapons that could strike targets within Russia, which would lead to an escalation in the war.