A Ukrainian soldier on trial before a Russian military court on charges including murder and mistreatment of civilians pleaded "partially guilty" as the proceedings began Tuesday in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don.
Anton Cherednik was accused of stopping two Mariupol men in March 2022, ordering them to lie on the ground and demanding that they say a phrase in Ukrainian, according to the Russian Investigative Committee. When one of them didn't pronounce it correctly, Cherednik killed him, the investigators said. The other victim escaped.
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Cherednik’s lawyer, Vladimir Bakulov, said his client had pleaded guilty during the preliminary investigation but "now stated that he pleads partially guilty." He did not explain why, but said he would talk with the defendant and "determine the line of defense."
The court plans to start questioning witnesses next week.