Trial of Ukrainian marine in Russia, language scandal in Kyiv Oblast: last night's highlights
A Ukrainian soldier is on trial in Russia for allegedly killing a civilian in Mariupol. An Irpin university teacher is embroiled in a language scandal. Another Estonian politician traveled to the temporarily occupied Donetsk Oblast. Here's what you may have missed from the previous night.
Trial of Ukrainian marine in Russia
In Rostov-on-Don in Russia, a court has begun hearing the case of 44-year-old Ukrainian marine Anton Cherednyk, who is accused of killing a resident of Mariupol in March 2022.
Journalists note that this is the first trial of a Ukrainian soldier in a Russian court, with similar cases previously heard in the courts of the so-called "DPR" and "LPR."
According to the prosecution, Cherednyk allegedly "against the background of hatred for representatives of the Russian nationality, supporters of the 'Russian world' and people who support the sovereignty of the 'DPR'" killed a man who did not know the meaning of the Ukrainian word "palianytsia" ('bun').
Language scandal in Irpin
A lecturer at the State Tax University in Irpin, Kyiv Oblast, was suspended for violating language laws pending an internal investigation.
She said that she had been teaching philosophy in Russian for 35 years and was not going to change anything. This was caught on a video by students.
Estonian politician's visit to Mariupol
Andres Raid, an MP candidate from the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE), said that he had visited the temporarily occupied Mariupol, where he saw no evidence of child abduction.
Instead, according to him, he saw "well-dressed children" in one of the Mariupol schools who were "learning to waltz for the graduation ceremony."
EKRE Deputy Chairman Henn Põlluaas said that the visit of his fellow party member to Mariupol came as a surprise to him. He emphasized that there is no reason to doubt Russia's war crimes.
Other news
- The ambassadors of the Group of Seven countries stressed the importance of conducting the selection to the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine (HQCJ) in a transparent and open manner. Earlier, the High Council of Justice (HCJ) closed the interviews and voting.
- In March, more than 3,000 Russian soldiers applied to the I Want to Live project to surrender, a record number for a month.