International Criminal Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Two Senior Russian Military Officials; Reactions from Moscow and Kyiv

The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Sergei Shoigu, the former Minister of Defense, and General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. On Tuesday, July 5, the court stated that these two senior Russian officials are accused of two war crimes, including directing attacks on civilian targets and causing excessive harm to civilians and civilian objects. Additionally, they are accused of committing crimes against humanity. In response to the news, the Russian Security Council stated that the issuance of arrest warrants for these two officials is legally meaningless and part of a 'hybrid war' against Moscow. According to the state news agency TASS, the Russian Security Council added in its statement: 'This is a shot in the wind since the jurisdiction of this court does not include Russia, and this decision is part of the West's hybrid war against our country.' However, Ukrainian government officials welcomed the warrant. President Volodymyr Zelensky stated: 'This decision shows that no military rank and no official in the cabinet can protect Russian criminals from accountability and punishment.' Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's Human Rights Commissioner, also wrote on the social media platform Telegram: 'Sooner or later, all war criminals will face just punishment.' Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential office, also stated that Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov have been personally recognized as responsible. He added: 'This is an important decision. Everyone is held accountable for their wicked actions.' According to this decision, Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov will be added to the list of individuals wanted by the International Criminal Court, but this action does not guarantee their arrest and trial. The court does not try defendants in absentia, and it is unlikely that the Russian government will hand them over. Thus, the number of arrest warrants issued by this court for Russian officials has reached four: an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for committing 'war crimes' in Ukraine was issued by the International Criminal Court in March 2023, as well as for Maria Lvova-Belova for the illegal transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia. The International Criminal Court was established based on the Rome Statute in 1998 and is an independent entity. 124 countries around the world are members of this court by accepting the Rome Statute, but the United States, Russia, and Ukraine have not joined this court. According to the Rome Statute, each member country is obligated to arrest and surrender individuals wanted by the International Criminal Court. Sergei Shoigu, one of Vladimir Putin's closest allies, served as Russia's Minister of Defense for 12 years until last month. He is considered one of the main architects and leaders of Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, which surprised the Ukrainian army in the early weeks. However, over time, weaknesses and financial corruption in the Russian armed forces have been revealed. Nevertheless, he remains a popular politician in Russia. General Valery Gerasimov, who has been at the head of the Russian Armed Forces' General Staff for over a decade, is among the very few who designed and led the military invasion of Ukraine. He was officially appointed as the commander of this operation in January 2023. The International Criminal Court stated that the charges against these two individuals are 'related to Russia's repeated attacks on power plants and the electricity transmission network in Ukraine between October 2022 and March 2023.' The judges of this court stated in their ruling that although some of these targets may have seemed like military objectives at the time of the attacks, the intensity of the attacks clearly indicates that the damage inflicted on civilians is disproportionate to the military advantage that Russia seeks. Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of this court, stated in a separate statement on Tuesday: 'Russia's military campaign during this period included several specific actions against civilians, and as a result, the decisions of Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov may constitute crimes against humanity.'