Amsterdam, 5 March 2024 (dpa/MIA) - The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants on Tuesday for two senior Russian officers for alleged war crimes, including crimes against humanity, in Ukraine.

Lieutenant General Sergei Kobylash and Admiral Viktor Sokolov are wanted for targeted missile attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine from October 2022 until at least March 2023, the court announced in The Hague.

Kobylash, 58, is a lieutenant general and commander of the Russian Air Force's long-range aviation forces. Sokolov, 61, is an admiral in the navy and was commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet during the period in question, the court said.

Both are allegedly responsible for missile attacks on power stations. They are also accused of crimes against humanity. The attacks had caused serious harm to people.

The court found that there are "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."

The arrest warrants were not made public due to the need to protect witnesses and continue the ongoing investigation.

A year ago, the court also issued international arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian commissioner for children's rights. Both are accused of war crimes in connection with the abduction and forced adoption of Ukrainian children to Russia.

Russia does not recognize the court, but Ukraine does, thereby allowing the prosecutor to investigate. Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan began investigations quickly after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago.