The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has issued arrest warrants for Sergei Shoigu, former Russian Minister of Defense, and Valery Gerasimov, current Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. They are accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity for missile attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine from October 10, 2022, to March 9, 2023.
The ICC claims that Shoigu and Gerasimov directed attacks on civilian objects, causing significant suffering and harm. Russia, which is not a party to the ICC, has publicly denounced the court and is unlikely to comply with the arrest warrants.
This follows previous ICC warrants for President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's human rights ombudsman, related to the forcible deportation of Ukrainian children. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the ICC's decision, emphasizing accountability for those involved in the missile strikes.
In a separate incident, Ukrainian forces allegedly used US-supplied ATACMS missiles in a strike on a Russian-controlled space control center in Crimea. The attack resulted in at least four fatalities and numerous injuries, with Russia blaming the US for supporting Ukraine's military actions.