A Russian soldier was sentenced to life in jail in Ukraine. Why?

A Russian soldier was sentenced to life in prison on Monday by a Ukrainian court for killing an unarmed civilian.

The captured soldier who pleaded guilty to the charges was given the maximum sentence for war crimes.

Thousands of people have died and millions have fled their homes since Russia's invasion of Ukraine started.

This is the first war crimes trial from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but there have been many other cases of such crimes being committed by Russian soldiers.

WHY WAS HE GIVEN LIFE SENTENCE?

Vadim Shishimarin, a 21-year-old tank commander, killed a 62-year-old man in the northeastern Ukrainian village on February 28 after being ordered to shoot him by his senior.

Shishimarin had fired several shots at the victim's head from an automatic weapon. Shishimarin watched the proceedings silently from a reinforced glass box in the courtroom and showed no emotion as the verdict was read out, reported Reuters.

He apologised to the man’s widow and asked for 'forgiveness' from the Ukrainian court.

WHAT IS A WAR CRIME?

Even war has rules. Geneva Conventions and other international laws say that civilians should not be deliberately attacked. The sick and wounded including the injured soldiers should be given proper care.

Targeting infrastructure that is necessary for the livelihood of civilians is also considered a war crime.

Chemical or biological weapons are banned as they cause huge suffering and can have long-term effects on those who have survived.

Serious offences such as murder, rape or mass persecution of a group are known as 'crimes against humanity', reported BBC.

WAR CRIMES BY RUSSIA IN UKRAINE

On April 3 and 4, after hundreds of bodies were found in towns near Kyiv, Ukraine accused Russia of committing war crimes. 

Mass graves and bodies of people shot at close range were found in the recaptured town of Bucha. As the West vowed response over Bucha deaths, Russia denied all allegations.

Russian forces in Mariupol had bombed a theater where civilians were sheltering and struck a maternity hospital.

Ukrainian prosecutors are investigating thousands of potential war crimes, reported AP.