ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Former Russian Defense Minister Shoigu and Chief of Staff Gerasimov for War Crimes in Ukraine

Jun 25, 2024, 11:30 AM

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov. The warrants are based on allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other international crimes, specifically for directing missile strikes against civilian targets and infrastructure in Ukraine. These attacks, described as inhumane acts, took place between October 2022 and March 2023, during Shoigu's tenure as defense minister. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the ICC's decision, while Russia's Security Council dismissed the warrants as part of a 'hybrid war' against Moscow.