Russia has stated that it does not acknowledge two top Russian officers’ arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. The court appointed Sergei Kobylash and Viktor Sokolov on Tuesday. “We are not parties to the [Rome] statute and do not recognise it,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated. This is the second time warrants have been issued for Russian nationals in connection with the Ukraine conflict. The first was for President Vladimir Putin and his children’s rights representative. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Mr Peskov stated, “This is not our first decision. We also know that there are some closed processes taking place there that are kept secret, and we consider such choices accordingly.”
Russia did not accept the warrants since it did not join the Rome Statute
Mr Peskov stated that Russia did not accept the warrants since it did not join the Rome Statute, the international treaty that established the ICC. It’s doubtful that Russian nationals will be extradited to face prosecution. The ICC said in a statement on Tuesday that the latest warrants were issued because there were substantial reasons to believe that the two suspects were involved in “missile strikes carried out by the forces under their command against… Ukrainian electric infrastructure”. The alleged crimes occurred between October 2022 and March 2023, according to the International Criminal Court. The court determined that the attacks caused civilian injury and damage that outweighed any military value.
According to the court, the two individuals “are each allegedly responsible for the war crime of directing attacks at civilian objects” as well as the “crime against humanity of inhumane acts”. Mr Kobylash, 58, was the Russian Air Force’s commander of long-range aviation when the alleged crimes occurred. According to the ICC, Mr Sokolov, 61, was a Russian military admiral who led the Black Sea Fleet throughout the time period covered by the charges. He was fired last month, according to reports, following a series of successful Ukrainian drone assaults on Russian naval vessels. However, his resignation has not been officially accepted. The two cops have not made any public comments about the situation.
The International Criminal Court investigates and prosecutes individuals responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity etc.
Despite extensive evidence gathered by Ukrainian and foreign investigators, Moscow has previously denied targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the ICC’s latest step. “Every Russian commander who orders strikes against Ukrainian civilians and critical infrastructure must know that justice will be served,” he said in a Facebook post. “Every perpetrator of such crimes must know that they will be held accountable.” The International Criminal Court investigates and prosecutes individuals responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, intervening when national authorities are unable or unwilling to do so.
The International Criminal Court investigates and prosecutes individuals responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, intervening when national authorities are unable or unwilling to do so. In March of last year, the ICC issued arrest warrants for President Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights. The warrants concerned the alleged illicit removal of children from Ukraine to Russia. Moscow disputed the charges and described the warrants as “outrageous”.
