Vadim Chichimarine pleads guilty at his war crimes trial

In front of journalists from all over the world, he enters the box of the accused. A hoodie, a youthful face and a trial for history. With a shy “yes”, he answers the question “do you plead guilty?” At 21, Vadim Chichimarine is the first Russian soldier tried for war crimes since the start of the invasion in Ukraine. The young soldier is accused of war crimes and premeditated murder.

At the end of February, when his convoy was attacked, he stole a car with other soldiers, before coming across a 62-year-old cyclist. They kill him so that he does not denounce them, he confides to the Ukrainian authorities. The victim’s body is left by the side of the road. His bereaved wife knows that the Russian soldier faces life imprisonment. To date, 40 Russian soldiers have been arrested on suspicion of war crimes. 11,000 investigations were opened.