The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Sergei Shoigu, the former Russian defense minister, and leading Russian general Valery Gerasimov. They are charged with alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
This brings the total number of arrest warrants issued against senior Russian suspects to eight since Moscow's invasion began in February 2022. The other individuals facing ICC charges include Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is accused of overseeing the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
The ICC said that Shoigu and Gerasimov are suspected of directing attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. Judges found "reasonable grounds to believe" the two men bear responsibility for missile strikes carried out by Russian forces against Ukraine's electric grid between October 2022 and at least March 2023.
Russia, which is not a member of the ICC, has repeatedly claimed that Ukraine's energy infrastructure was a legitimate military target and has denied targeting civilians. However, Ukraine praised the ICC's decision to issue the arrest warrants.
"Every criminal involved in the planning and execution of these strikes must know that justice will be served," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "And we do hope to see them behind bars."
In contrast, Russia's Security Council dismissed the ICC's actions as legally meaningless, calling them part of a "hybrid war" against Moscow. However, the court's jurisdiction does cover crimes committed on Ukrainian territory, which has granted the ICC authority to prosecute relevant cases.
PUTIN ALLY
Shoigu has been a long-time associate and supporter of Putin and played a crucial role in the conflict. He was relieved of his duties as defense minister last month and appointed as the secretary of Russia's influential Security Council, marking the most significant changes to Putin's military leadership since the invasion.
As the ICC lacks its law enforcement agency and depends on member states for apprehensions, it is uncertain whether any Russian suspects will face trial.
Russia follows a policy of not extraditing its citizens, and the ICC, the world's first permanent tribunal for war crimes, does not have mechanisms in place for trials in absentia.
During the period covered by the recent arrest warrants, Russia is suspected of conducting attacks on numerous electric power facilities and substations throughout Ukraine.
According to ICC judges, there are reasonable grounds to believe that the attacks primarily targeted civilian infrastructure "and for those facilities that could be considered military objectives at the time, the expected collateral damage to civilians would have outweighed the anticipated military benefit," classifying the assaults as war crimes.
The court stated that additional details of the allegations are being kept confidential to protect witnesses and maintain the integrity of the investigations.
CONNECTED CASES
In February, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan applied for warrants related to the ongoing investigations in Ukraine. This case is connected to the warrants issued in March for top Russian commanders Sergei Kobylash and Viktor Sokolov, who face charges over attacks on the power grid.
Khan stated that the investigations in Ukraine are continuing along multiple, interconnected lines. One of the ICC's top Ukraine investigators, Brenda Hollis, recently told journalists that the court's Ukraine probe is now looking into crimes committed against prisoners of war and civilians in detention.
The ICC has faced scrutiny in recent months after Prosecutor Khan announced he was seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three senior Hamas officials. Some of the ICC's key allies supporting its Ukraine investigations, such as Germany, Britain, and the United States, have questioned the decision to pursue those warrants. However, most ICC member states, including all European Union countries, have affirmed their respect for the court's independence.
While Washington is not an ICC member and has criticized the court's move regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict as "outrageous," the US continues to support the ICC's ongoing investigation in Ukraine.
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