Two Russian top officials may face the most difficult part of their career as the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued warrant of arrest against them for alleged international crimes, war crimes and crimes against humanity amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov were slammed with the warrant as the court said on Tuesday, that the two were allegedly responsible for two war crimes.
The accusations include directing attacks at civilian objects and causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects.
They are also accused of committing crimes against humanity.
Russian authorities have not yet commented on the decision at the time of filing this report on Tuesday.
However, in a swift reaction, Ukraine which has been in a bitter war with Russia commended the ICC for the move.
Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets lauded the ICC’s decision, saying Ukraine was a step closer to getting justice.
“Sooner or later, a just punishment will overtake every war criminal!” he said in a statement posted on his Telegram.
The head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Andriy Yermak, said Shoigu and Gerasimov were being held “individually responsible.”
“This is an important decision. Everyone will be held accountable for evil,” he said in a statement.
The ICC noted that the alleged crimes relate to “a large number of strikes against numerous electric power plants and sub-stations” that were carried out by the Russia across Ukraine between October 2022 and at least March 2023.
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