On Wednesday, a Kyiv district court convened to begin its first war crimes trial against a Russian soldier who participated in Moscow's February 24 invasion, a case with enormous symbolic significance for Ukraine.

Vadim Shishimarin, a 21-year-old Russian tank commander, detained in Ukraine, is accused of murdering a 62-year-old civilian in the town of Chupakhivka, located in the northeast of Ukraine, on February 28. He informed the court of his guilty plea.

Shishimarin risks up to life in jail if convicted.

The Ukrainian government has accused Russia of atrocities and violence against people during the invasion, claiming to have discovered over 10,000 potential war crimes.

Russia has denied targeting people and engaging in war crimes, and Ukraine has been accused of faking them to tarnish Russia's reputation.

After their column was targeted by Ukrainian forces, the soldier and four other Russian personnel, according to Ukrainian state prosecutors, fired upon and hijacked a private vehicle in an attempt to flee.

According to the soldiers, as they entered the village of Chupakhivka, they noticed an unarmed citizen riding a bicycle and talking on the phone.

Another serviceman ordered Shishimarin to kill the civilian to prevent him from reporting the Russians' presence. He fired several shots at the guy's head through the open window of the automobile using an assault rifle, and the civilian was killed instantly.