The International Criminal Court will open two cases against Russian officials for actions committed since the invasion of Ukraine, the New York Times reported Monday. According to the newspaper, the first case to be dealt with is the alleged kidnapping by Russia of Ukrainian children, who were later sent for adoption or to re-education camps.
The second case concerns the deliberate missile attack by Russian forces on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, such as power and water stations.
A spokeswoman for the ICC prosecutor’s office, Karim Khan, declined to comment on the information.
The court will also seek arrest warrants against several people, the New York Times said, citing current and former court officials as a source, without giving details about who would be charged and when.
The Hague-based ICC launched an investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine just days after the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022. Prosecutor Karim Khan said earlier this month, following a visit to Ukraine, that the alleged child abductions “are being investigated by my office on a priority basis.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine are members of the ICC, but the kyiv government accepted the court’s jurisdiction and is cooperating with Khan’s office.
Russia denies accusations of war crimes committed by its troops and experts believe it is unlikely that it will hand over any suspects.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project