Pre-trial Chamber II of the ICC, which includes presiding Judge Rosario Salvatore Aitala, Judge Tomoko Akane, and Judge Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godinez, issued the warrants for Lt. Gen. Sergei Kobylash and Russian Navy Adm. Viktor Sokolov.
According to the judges, the alleged crimes took place from Oct. 10, 2022, to March 9, 2023, when Gen. Kobylash was the commander of the Long-Range Aviation of the Aerospace Force and Adm. Sokolov was the commander of the Black Sea Fleet.
The judges found that there were “reasonable grounds to believe that the two suspects bear responsibility for missile strikes carried out by the forces under their command against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure” during that period.
“During this time frame, there was an alleged campaign of strikes against numerous electric power plants and sub-stations, which were carried out by the Russian armed forces in multiple locations in Ukraine,” officials said.
The judges also found that there are “reasonable grounds to believe that the alleged strikes were directed against civilian objects, and for 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.”
Both men are charged with multiple war crimes, including alleged responsibility for directing attacks against civilian objects, causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects, and inhumane acts.
The judges also said they have reasonable grounds to believe that the two Russians bear individual criminal responsibility for the alleged crimes because they jointly committed the acts and ordered others to commit the crimes or failed to exercise proper control over the forces under their command.
Moscow has consistently denied targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy Welcomes Arrest Warrants
Responding to the latest warrants issued by the ICC, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said they should serve as a warning to other Russian senior officials.
“International justice requires time, but it is unavoidable. We continue to make every effort to ensure that no Russian beast responsible for the murder of Ukrainian children, women, and men goes unpunished. And no number of stars on shoulder straps or cabinet doors will keep them from being held accountable.”
While the ICC noted that the contents of the arrest warrants will be kept secret to protect witnesses and to safeguard the investigations, it stressed that public awareness of the warrants was beneficial and may contribute to the prevention of the further commission of crimes.
