• Mikhail Romanov, 32, has allegedly murdered man and raping his wife.
• It is the first of what could be dozens of such cases in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• Moscow has denied allegations of war crimes.

First trial for Russian soldier accused of rape to start in Ukraine. The first of what may be dozens of such cases; Ukraine is due to hold a preliminary hearing on Thursday in the first trial of a Russian soldier; accused of raping a Ukrainian woman during Russia’s invasion.
According to court documents, the defendant, 32-year-old Mikhail Romanov; who is not currently in arrest of Ukrainian authorities; and will be tried in absentia; is charged with murdering a civilian in the Kyiv capital region on March 9; and then repeatedly raping the victim’s wife.

A written request for comment from the Russian Defense Ministry; did not receive a prompt response; and Reuters was unable to speak with the soldier.

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After shooting her husband Oleksiy at point blank range in the town of Bohdanivka, northeast of Kiev; Romanov and another Russian soldier allegedly raped a 33-year-old woman.

The court documents stated that after leaving; the two soldiers came back twice more to rape the woman.

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