ICC issues arrest warrants for Russian Security Council chair, Armed Forces chief

The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has issued arrest warrants for former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Valeri Gerasimov, the Chief of Staff of the Russian Army. They are suspected of leading attacks on civilian targets and civilians in Ukraine between October 10, 2022, and March 9, 2023.

Sergei Shoigu was defense minister from 2012 until last month and is now the secretary of the Russian Security Council. Gerasimov has led the Russian armed forces since 2012.

The two are allegedly responsible for a large number of Russian missile attacks on the energy infrastructure in Ukraine. According to the ICC, there are reasonable grounds to assume that the attacks were aimed at civilian targets. Furthermore, the expected collateral damage to civilians would have been “manifestly excessive” compared to the expected military benefit.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff welcomed the court’s decision. He spoke of an “important decision” in holding Russia accountable for its actions in Ukraine. The Russians have repeatedly said that Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is a legitimate military target and deny attacking civilians or civilian targets.

Russia is not a member of the ICC. The arrest warrants mainly restrict Shoigu and Gerasimov's freedom of movement. 124 states have joined the court and must arrest the two Russians if they set foot on their territory.

The court in The Hague issued arrest warrants against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian children’s rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova in March 2023. This happened in an investigation into the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. In response, Moscow issued arrest warrants against the court’s judges.