SIASIC News: ICC issues warrants against Sergei Shoigu and Valeriy Gerasimov on chargres related to Ukraine Bombings
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for two Russian military officials, former Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Russian army chief Valeriy Gerasimov , for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. These charges are related to the bombing of Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure during the first winter of Russia’s full-scale invasion 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 substations were carried out by the Russian armed forces in multiple locations in Ukraine.
The Court said it had “reasonable grounds to believe that the suspects intentionally caused great suffering or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health, thus bearing criminal responsibility for the crime against humanity of other inhumane acts.
In its statement, the Court said it believed the 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”.
The two warrants bring the total number of top Russian officials wanted for war crimes to four as the ICC has previously issued arrest warrants for President Vladimir Putin and Russian official Maria Lvova-Belova for an alleged scheme to deport Ukrainian children to Russia.
The ICC first opened proceedings into Russia’s invasion in March 2022. One year later, arrest warrants were issued for Putin himself and the Russian President’s human rights ombudsman, Maria Lvova-Belova, over the mass abduction of Ukrainian children. In March 2024, the ICC announced new arrest warrants for Russian Air Force long range aviation chief Sergei Kobylash and Russian Black Sea Fleet commander Viktor Sokolov in connection with the bombing of Ukraine’s power grid.
The Russian Security Council immediately dismissed the significance of the charges against Shoigu, calling them “null and void” and “part of the West’s hybrid war against Russia.”
Ukrainian officials welcomed the ICC’s announcement on Tuesday. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the decision shows that “no military rank or cabinet door can shield Russian criminals from accountability.” The country’s human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said the ICC decision meant Ukraine was a step closer to getting justice.
Although Russia withdrew its signature from the Rome Statute in 2016, and is thus not a participant in the ICC nor under its jurisdiction, it can still be charged for actions against Ukraine which is not a party but has accepted the jurisdiction of the Court since 2014.
SIASIC Out, but not yet Over
Written by: Amal Elias
