Pavel Polityuk

KYIV, Reuters – In the second trial for war crimes in which two Russian soldiers were convicted of bombing a city in Eastern Ukraine on Thursday, the men were captured.

Alexander Bobikin was and Alexander Ivanov were charged with violating laws of war at the Kotelevska District Court in central Ukraine.

An attorney for the defense asked for leniency. He stated that both soldiers followed orders, but had since repented.

Bobikin, Ivanov and other soldiers, who were seated in reinforced glass boxes, admitted to being members of an artillery group that attacked targets in Kharkiv from Russia’s Belgorod region. Prosecutors said that the shelling caused the destruction of an educational institution in Derhachi.

According to the prosecution general’s office, they were described as an artillery driver or gunner and captured when they crossed the border to continue the shelling.

“I am fully guilty of the crime of which you are accusing me. “We fired at Ukraine using Russia,” Bobikin said to the court during proceedings which were live streamed.

Ivanov asked not to receive the maximum sentence and said that he regretted the decision. He also requested a reduction of the sentence.

This hearing took less than one hour. It is anticipated that the verdict will come out on May 31.

One Russian soldier was sentenced to life by a Ukrainian court for murdering an unarmed civilian. Russia denied knowing anything and claimed that it was unable to assist due to the lack of any diplomatic missions in Ukraine.

There are many other such trials in Ukraine as well in Russia. Russia has repeatedly denied that it targeted civilians and was involved in war crimes.