ICC issue arrest warrants for former Russian Defense Minister Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Gerasimov
Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov and Defence Minister , Sergei Shoigu, Feb. 27, 2022 (AFP Photo)
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Sergei Shoigu, the former Russian Defense Minister, and leading Russian General Valery Gerasimov on Tuesday for alleged crimes committed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In a press release, the court said judges had found there were “reasonable grounds to believe that the two suspects bear responsibility for missile strikes carried out by Russian armed forces against Ukrainian electricity infrastructure from at least October 10, 2022 until at least March 9, 2023.”
Russian officials were suspected of having committed war crimes and crimes against humanity for directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects in Ukraine.
Russia, which like Ukraine is not a member of the ICC, has repeatedly said Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is a legitimate military target and denies targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure.
