The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The ICC announced on June 25 that Shoigu and Gerasimov are allegedly responsible for two war crimes: targeting civilian objects and causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian infrastructure. They are also accused of committing crimes against humanity.
Ukrainian officials welcomed the ICC's announcement. President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the decision demonstrates that “no military rank or cabinet door can shield Russian criminals from accountability.” Ukraine's human rights leader, Dmytro Lubinets, said the decision brings Ukraine closer to justice, adding, “Sooner or later, a just punishment will overtake every war criminal!”
In response, Russian state news agency TASS quoted the Security Council of Russia, currently headed by Shoigu, as dismissing the ICC decision as “null and void.” The council stated that the ICC’s jurisdiction does not extend to Russia and claimed the decision was part of the West’s hybrid war against the country.
These new warrants bring the total number of top Russian officials wanted for war crimes to four, following previous warrants for President Vladimir Putin and Russian official Maria Lvova-Belova related to the alleged deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
Shoigu, a long-time ally of Putin, served as Russia’s defense minister for 12 years. While the warrants place Shoigu and Gerasimov on the ICC’s wanted list, it is unlikely they will stand trial, as the court does not conduct trials in absentia and Moscow is unlikely to hand them over.
The ICC, located in The Hague, Netherlands, operates independently and was created by the Rome Statute treaty. While 124 countries are parties to the treaty, the US, Russia, and Ukraine are not.
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