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A Russian soldier has pleaded guilty to murdering a 62-year-old civilian in northeastern Ukraine in the first war crimes trial of the conflict.
Vadim Shishimarin is accused of shooting an unarmed resident as Russian soldiers drove into the village of Chupakhiva.
He admitted the killing as proceedings got under way on Wednesday at a Kyiv district court.
The 21-year-old Russian tank commander could face life in prison.
Russia has denied its troops have targeted civilians.
Ukrainian state prosecutors said the soldier and four other Russian servicemen fired at and stole a privately owned car to escape after their column was targeted by Ukrainian forces.
As they arrived in Chupakhivka, they saw a resident cycling and talking on his phone.
They said Shishimarin was ordered by another serviceman to kill the civilian to prevent him from reporting on the Russians’ presence.
He fired several shots through the open window of the car with an assault rifle at the civilian’s head.
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