The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for two senior Russian military officials—former Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov—for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity associated with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The court alleges that Shoigu and Gerasimov were responsible for directing missile strikes on civilian infrastructure, specifically targeting Ukraine’s electric power plants and substations from October 2022 to March 2023.
These strikes, according to the ICC, caused "excessive incidental harm" to civilians, violating international humanitarian laws. Although the court considers the evidence sufficient to believe the suspects intentionally inflicted significant suffering on civilians, both officials are unlikely to be extradited as Russia does not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction and has publicly denounced the court.
This move follows previous ICC arrest warrants issued in the conflict, including those for President Vladimir Putin and other officials over the alleged abduction of Ukrainian children. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the indictments, asserting the need for accountability, and highlighting the scale of damage to Ukraine’s power infrastructure. He added that Russia had destroyed or severely damaged a significant portion of Ukraine’s electricity generation capacity.
The ICC's arrest warrants add to the growing list of Russian officials wanted for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, although actual enforcement of these warrants remains uncertain given Russia's stance on the ICC.