The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Russia’s Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu and General Valery Gerasimov, accusing them of war crimes during the Ukraine conflict.
Russia, which has consistently rejected the ICC's authority, is expected to dismiss these warrants, as it has done with similar accusations previously.
Shoigu, who led the Russian Defence Ministry from 2012 until last month, oversaw the initial stages of the Ukraine conflict before being reassigned as Secretary of the Security Council by President Vladimir Putin. His successor, Andrey Belousov, took over in May 2024. The ICC's action against Shoigu is likely to heighten tensions between Russia and the international community.
Gerasimov, serving as General of the Army since 2012, has played a key role in Russia’s military strategy against Ukraine.
The ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber II alleged that Shoigu and Gerasimov committed war crimes between October 2022 and March 2023. These include directing attacks on civilian targets and causing excessive harm to civilians, as well as inhumane acts constituting crimes against humanity.
The court claims there are reasonable grounds to believe that both officials bear individual criminal responsibility for these actions, including Russian strikes on Ukrainian power plants.
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