4.1.1. War crimes committed by the Russian military in Ukraine
On 17 March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President of Russia for the ‘unlawful deportation and transfer of children’ from Russia-occupied Ukrainian territories to Russia. On 5 March 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for lieutenant general Sergei Kobylash and admiral Viktor Sokolov for ‘directing attacks to civilian objects,’ causing excessive civilian harm. Furthermore, on 24 June 2024, arrest warrants were issued for former defence minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov for committing international crimes in Ukraine.695
In October 2025, the UN Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, established by the UN Human Rights Council, noted that the actions of the Russian military in Ukraine amount to two crimes against humanity: the crime of ‘murder and of forcible transfer of population’ and the crime of ‘deportations and transfers of civilians.’ The Commission noted that the attacks by the Russian military in Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv oblasts were conducted with the intention to ‘drive Ukrainians out of their homes’ and targeted ‘individuals, houses and buildings, humanitarian distribution points and critical energy infrastructure servicing civilians,’ as well as ‘first responders – including ambulances and fire brigades, which are afforded special protection under international humanitarian law.’ Moreover, Russian authorities ‘coordinated actions to deport or transfer groups of people from areas under occupation.’696