The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Russia’s former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and military chief of staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity for attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine, Associated Press reports.
The charges relate to missile strikes on Ukraine’s electrical infrastructure from October 2022 to March 2023, which caused extensive suffering and damage. The court claims that these strikes, carried out under Shoigu and Gerasimov’s leadership, targeted civilian areas, resulting in significant civilian casualties and damage. Despite Moscow’s claims of only targeting military facilities, the ICC argues that any potential military targets were outweighed by the excessive civilian harm caused. However, there is little chance of Shoigu or Gerasimov being detained as Russia does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction and refuses to extradite suspects.
This is the third set of warrants the ICC has issued for senior Russian leaders. Last year, it issued a warrant for President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of the abduction of Ukrainian children. The ICC also issued warrants for two high-ranking Russian military officers earlier this year for similar charges.
