The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants against russian commanders of long-range aviation Sergei Kobylash as well as the Black Sea Fleet Viktor Sokolov. This was reported by the court's press service.
"Today, 5 March 2024, Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court, composed of Judge Rosario Salvatore Aitala, Presiding, Judge Tomoko Akane and Judge Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godinez (“ICC” or “Court”) issued warrants of arrest for two individuals, Mr Sergei Ivanovich Kobylash and Mr Viktor Nikolayevich Sokolov, in the context of the situation in Ukraine for alleged crimes committed from at least 10 October 2022 until at least 9 March 2023," the statement reads.
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Both of them are accused at directing attacks at civilian objects, war crimes of causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects as well as the crime against humanity. ICC has reasonable grounds to believe they bear individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes for having committed the acts jointly and/or through others, ordering the commission of the crimes, and/or for their failure to exercise proper control over the forces under their command.
"The two warrants of arrest were issued following applications filed by the Prosecution," the court reported.
According to Pre-Trial Chamber II, there are reasonable grounds to believe that Kobylash and Sokolov bear responsibility for missile strikes carried out by the forces under their command against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from at least 10 October 2022 until at least 9 March 2023.
The court noted that during this period, russians had been shelling electric power plants and sub-stations on the territory of Ukraine.
Also, according to the decision of Pre-Trial Chamber II, there are grounds to believe that russians directed the strikes against civilian objects.
"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 court's press service added.
ICC reported that the alleged campaign of strikes had qualified as a course of conduct involving the multiple commission of acts against a civilian population, pursuant to a State policy, in the meaning of Article 7 of the Statute. So, according to the ICC, there are reasonable grounds to believe that russian commanders also bear responsibility for the crime against humanity of ‘other inhumane acts […] intentionally causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health’.
"The content of the warrants is issued ‘secret’ in order to protect witnesses and to safeguard the investigations," the court reported.
It will be recalled that in March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued warrants for the arrest of russian President Vladimir Putin as well as Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights Lvova-Belovain connection with the forced deportation of Ukrainian children.
Earlier Defense Express reported that russians had tried to raise rating of rheir dictator in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine before elections.
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