The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants on Tuesday for Sergei Shoigu, former Russian defense minister, and General Valery Gerasimov for alleged crimes during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
This brings the total to eight warrants against senior Russian officials since the invasion began in February 2022, including one against Russian President Vladimir Putin for the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
The ICC stated Shoigu and Gerasimov are suspected of war crimes and crimes against humanity, specifically for directing missile attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure from October 10, 2022, to March 9, 2023.
Kyiv welcomed the court’s move, while Moscow dismissed it as legally meaningless.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy emphasized the need for justice, hoping to see those responsible behind bars.
Conversely, Russia’s Security Council and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the ICC’s authority, labeling the warrants as part of the West’s hybrid war against Russia.
