The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin’s current army chief Valery Gerasimov and the Sergei Shoigu for war crimes.
The war crimes committed by Shoigu and Gerasimov took place between 10 October 2022 until 9 March 2023 as they are responsible for missile attacks on civilian infrastructure and the energy sector which affected tens of thousands of Ukrainians during the freezing winter months.
Ukraine’s presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak said the move by the ICC is important as they both “bear individual responsibility” and will now be “held responsible for evil.”
However, the Russian Security Council said the ICC’s decision is “part of the hybrid war of the West against the Russian Federation.”
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Russian state media TASS reported that the council said the ICC warrant is insignificant which is purely “shaking of the air.”
The ICC said: “The two warrants of arrest were issued following applications filed by the Prosecution.
“Pre-Trial Chamber II considered that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the two suspects bear responsibility for missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from at least 10 October 2022 until at least 9 March 2023.
“During this time-frame, a large number of strikes against numerous electric power plants and sub-stations were carried out by the Russian armed forces in multiple locations in Ukraine.
Pre-Trial Chamber II found that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the alleged strikes were directed against civilian objects, and for those installations that may have qualified as military objectives at the relevant time, the expected incidental civilian harm and damage would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage.
In March 2023 the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin over war crimes, then the deputy head of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev said they will fire a hypersonic missile at the Hague.
In July 2022 Russia’s former President, Medvedev warned of a nuclear war if Moscow is punished for war crimes.
Medvedev warned that the “existence of mankind” is under threat and said the ICC should be careful attacking a country who has the “largest nuclear potential.”
He pointed out to the ICC that they never punished the US for their global aggression and they should refrain from trying to “legal void” actions against Moscow.
Medvedev wrote on Telegram, “The idea of punishing the country that has the largest nuclear potential is absurd in itself.
“And potentially threatens the existence of mankind.”
