“A court in Ukraine has jailed a Russian tank commander for life for killing a civilian at the first war crimes trial since the invasion.
Captured soldier Sgt Vadim Shishimarin was convicted of killing Oleksandr Shelipov, 62, in the north-eastern village of Chupakhivka on 28 February.
He admitted shooting Mr Shelipov but said he had been acting on orders and asked forgiveness of his widow.
Multiple other alleged war crimes are being investigated by Ukraine.”
The above is taken from the BBC News website. Clearly the intention is to highlight the callousness of the Russian troops and the cruel way in which they slaughter defenceless people.
It’s always a good idea to try to link foreign stories with something or somebody at home. So I’m surprised the B(ritish)BC didn’t remind us that eleven innocent people were killed by British soldiers in Ballymurphy in 1971, fourteen met the same fate in Derry a few months later – again, in broad daylight and with witnesses.Yet as far as I know, no British soldier has received a life sentence for these killings, nor has any British soldier, unlike this Russian counterpart, asked for forgiveness for the murder or pleaded that he was acting only on orders. Similarly the multiple cases of British army collusion in the killing of innocent people by loyalist death squads.
I’ll be scanning The Guardian and other liberal organs for an opinion piece acknowledging the great British ability to ignore the elephant that is not just in the room but sitting on top of them. I’ll also be taking bets that I’ll find no such journalism.
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