International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for Russian Long-Range Aviation Commander Sergei Kobylash and Black Sea Fleet Commander Viktor Sokolov

The Hague, The Netherlands (Svidomi) — Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Russian Long-Range Aviation Commander Sergei Kobylash and Black Sea Fleet Commander Viktor Sokolov for their involvement in crimes in Ukraine, the court's website reports.

According to the court, Sergei Kobylash and Viktor Sokolov are responsible for the following war crimes: attacking civilian objects, causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects, and a crime against humanity in the form of inhuman acts under Article 7(1)(k) of the Rome Statute.

The two arrest warrants were issued at the request of the Prosecutor's Office. The Pre-Trial Chamber found that there were reasonable grounds to believe that the two suspects were responsible for missile strikes carried out by forces under their command against Ukrainian electrical infrastructure from at least October 10, 2022 to March 9, 2023. During this time, a series of Russian missile attacks took place against power plants and substations in many Ukrainian cities.

The judges classified the attacks on critical infrastructure as "conduct involving the multiple commission of acts against civilians in pursuance of a State or organizational policy to commit such an attack within the scope of Article 7 of the Rome Statute".

"There are thus reasonable grounds to believe that the suspects are also responsible for the crime against humanity of 'other inhumane acts [...] intentionally causing great suffering or serious bodily or mental or physical injury' under Article 7(1)(k) of the Rome Statute," the judges added.