THE HAGUE, June 25, 2024 — The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu, Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, and Valery Vasilyevich Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation’s Armed Forces and First Deputy Minister of Defence. The Pre-Trial Chamber’s decision follows extensive investigations into their alleged involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.
Based on the evidence collected and analyzed by the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor, the Pre-Trial Chamber has established reasonable grounds to believe that Shoigu and Gerasimov bear individual criminal responsibility for the following crimes:
The war crime of directing attacks against civilian objects (article 8(2)(b)(ii) of the Rome Statute);
The war crime of causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects (article 8(2)(b)(iv) of the Rome Statute);
The crime against humanity of inhumane acts (article 7(1)(k) of the Rome Statute).
The warrants are related to attacks on critical infrastructure in Ukraine, including strikes against power plants and substations, between October 10, 2022, and March 9, 2023. The Office of the Prosecutor presented evidence that these strikes targeted civilian objects and that any military objectives could not justify the excessive civilian harm caused.
“The Pre-Trial Chamber has determined that there are reasonable grounds to believe that a large number of strikes against numerous electric power plants and substations were carried out by the Russian armed forces in multiple locations in Ukraine,” said the ICC’s Prosecutor. “This alleged campaign represents a course of conduct involving multiple acts against a civilian population, pursuant to a State policy, establishing the basis for a crime against humanity under article 7(1)(k) of the Statute.”
The Chamber also found that Shoigu and Gerasimov are criminally responsible for these crimes through various means, including jointly and/or through others, ordering the commission of the crimes, and failing to exercise proper control over their forces.
The ICC’s action underscores its commitment to enforcing international humanitarian law and protecting civilians in armed conflicts. “One of the core objectives of international humanitarian law is the protection of civilians in armed conflicts,” emphasized the Prosecutor. “No individual, anywhere in the world, should feel they can act with impunity. And no person, anywhere in the world, should feel they are deserving of less protection than others.”
The Prosecutor expressed gratitude to the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine for its collaboration, which has been instrumental in advancing the investigations. The ICC continues to seek cooperation from the Russian Federation regarding the situation in Ukraine.
“The support of many partners has been crucial in moving forward with our investigations,” said the Prosecutor. “We remain focused on pursuing multiple, interconnected lines of investigation in Ukraine to ensure justice and accountability.”
