Russia is Accused of Committing War Crimes

Russian shelling of Ukrainian cities is killing civilians. The International Criminal Court is now investigating for possible war crimes.

• Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is in its eighth day with shelling reported in major cities. The bombing is increasingly targeting civilian areas, resulting in high casualties.
• The International Criminal Court, or ICC, has now decided to investigate possible war crimes in Ukraine. The Russian military is suspected of intentionally targeting civilian areas.
• “I am satisfied that there is a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine,” noted ICC Prosecutor Karim AA Khan.
• Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) researchers are analyzing and verifying photo and video evidence, which could prove crucial to the ICC’s investigations.
• Neither Russia nor Ukraine are signatories of the ICC, but the ICC has the jurisdiction to proceed with investigations in Ukrainian territory, with help from local law enforcement agencies.
• There are questions about whether the ICC’s actions can save lives given the time it takes to come to decisions and the fact that Russia is likely to refuse to cooperate.