Two Russian troops were sentenced to more than 11 years in prison each on Tuesday after a court in central Ukraine found them guilty of firing artillery towards residential areas.

The conviction in the Poltava area trial came only one week after a court in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, handed out a life sentence to a 21-year-old Russian soldier, marking the country’s first legal reckoning with Russia’s invasion.

Read more: Ukraine’s ex-leader Poroshenko allowed to leave country

In the early days of the war, they were found guilty of launching Grad rockets on two villages in the northern Kharkiv region.

Both suspects had already pled guilty, according to Interfax.

It stated that their legal defence had asked for a moderate penalty, stating that the troops were only obeying orders and operating under pressure.

Russian servicemen’s judgments this month are anticipated to be the first in a series of trials.

Since Russian President Vladimir Putin dispatched his soldiers, Ukraine claims it has initiated hundreds of war crimes investigations.

Read more: Russians control Severodonetsk city in east Ukraine

The Kremlin stated it had not received any information regarding Vadim Shishimarin’s case while his trial was ongoing in Kyiv, following his conviction.

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