The baby-faced Russian tank commander who murdered an innocent grandfather in Ukraine grinned in the dock yesterday when it emerged he could be sent home as part of a prisoner swap.
Sergeant Vadim Shishimarin, 21, hung his head and begged for “forgiveness” as he was cross-examined by the widow of Oleksandr Shelypov, 62, whom he shot with an AK-47 assault rifle on the fifth day of the Russian invasion head shot .
But the dead-eyed killer grinned after prosecutors revealed two of his comrades – who were set to testify against him – had been sent back to Russia as part of a prisoner swap.
Sergeant Vadim Shishimarin, 21, a former tank sergeant in the Russian army, faces a life sentence after admitting to war crimes charges on Wednesday
The dead-eyed killer grinned after prosecutors revealed two of his comrades – who were set to testify against him – had been sent back to Russia as part of a prisoner swap
Oleksandr Shelypov once served the Russian elite as part of the Soviet KGB but was eventually shot by Russian troops
Shishimarin (right) says he was ordered to shoot the man while he and his comrades drove through Sumy province lest he give away their position
The case was adjourned for sentencing today and Shishimarin faces life behind bars.
News of a possible deal with Moscow emerged when Mr Shelypov’s widow, Kateryna, told judges she would agree to the exchange of Shishimarin for Ukrainians captured at the Azovstal factory in Mariupol.
The 61-year-old said: “I want him to have life, but if he is exchanged for the Azov Valley defenders, our guys from Mariupol, I don’t mind. I won’t object.’
Russian forces are detaining more than 1,700 Ukrainian militants who were living in tunnels at the plant this week after a two-month siege that turned them into national heroes. Kyiv said it was negotiating an exchange of the fighters for Russian prisoners.
But Russia has not confirmed a swap will take place amid suggestions that Putin could put the Ukrainians on trial.
In a tense exchange at the Kyiv Court of Appeal, Ms Shelypova confronted her husband’s killer and demanded: “Tell me, how did you feel when you killed my husband? Do you regret this crime?’
Shishimarin is pictured being led away from the court where he faces life in prison when he next appears at his sentencing hearing
Kateryna Shelypova, whose husband Oleksandr was shot dead by Shishimarin, confronted him in court today – and wanted to know why he came to Ukraine
He replied, “I confess my guilt. I understand that you cannot forgive me. I’m sorry.’
Ms. Shelpova said: “Please tell me why did you come here? To protect us? By whom? From my husband whom you killed?’
Shishimarin replied, “We were just following our orders.” Prosecutors showed the judges three AK-47s – including the murder weapon – which they said were seized from Shishimarin and his comrades after their arrest.
The court heard that Mr Shelypov – a former KGB bodyguard – was walking his bicycle home and talking on his phone when he was shot dead a few meters from his front door on February 28 in the northeastern village of Chupakhivk.
Shishimarin, testifying in court for the first time, said he was in the back of a stolen Volkswagen Passat as he and other Russian troops fled a Ukrainian ambush.
Shelypova (pictured) told the court that losing her husband “is everything to me” as Shishimarin asked her to forgive him
Kateryna Shelypova (bottom right) confronted Russian soldier Vadim Shishimarin (standing, head bowed, top left) in a Kiev court today after he admitted killing her husband
They had been attacked while trying to evacuate troops from his unit who had been injured by another Russian tank in a so-called friendly fire incident.
He said an officer “yelled at him” to shoot Mr Shelypov, adding: “I didn’t mean to. He started saying in a forceful tone that I should shoot.
“He said I would put us all in danger if I didn’t. I shot him at close range with an automatic salvo. It killed him. I didn’t want to kill him. I shot him so they would leave me alone.’
As they approached the next village, they were attacked by a group of villagers armed with hunting rifles. Shishimarin said the officer who ordered him to assassinate Mr Shelypov was killed.
The survivors hid overnight before turning themselves in.
His account was supported by Russian POW Ivan Maltisov, 20, who said: “Vadim didn’t want to shoot the civilian but the officer yelled at him and said we were all going to die because of his inaction, so he fired three or four shots .’