A Russian soldier has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for firing a tank at a residential apartment building in Chernihiv, Ukraine, just two days after the invasion began. Mikhail Kulikov was found guilty of violating the laws and customs of war, according to Ukrainian interior ministry official Anton Herashchenko.
The attack occurred on February 26, when Kulikov targeted the multi-storey block, which was not a military objective nor used for military purposes, the Ukrainian general prosecutor's office said. Kulikov pleaded guilty to some charges and sought leniency, claiming he was following orders.
Ukraine is investigating nearly 26,000 suspected war crimes and has charged 135 individuals, with around 15 in custody. The sentencing comes after a Russian tank commander, Vadim Shishimarin, had his life sentence reduced to 15 years on appeal for killing a civilian.
Shishimarin, 21, shot dead 62-year-old Oleksandr Shelipov in the Sumy region in the early days of the war. His lawyers argued the sentence was too harsh given his guilty plea and that he acted on orders. An appeals court in Kyiv agreed, reducing the penalty.
Shishimarin's lawyer said it is likely he will be traded back to Russia in a prisoner swap. Russia denies deliberately targeting civilians in what it calls a special military operation.
