The International Criminal Court will open a probe investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine after the city of Kharkiv was bombed by Russian forces.
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said on Monday: “Today I wish to announce that I have decided to proceed with opening an investigation into the situation in Ukraine, as rapidly as possible.”
According to reports, a rocket landed in front of the civilian public administration building in Kharkiv, destroying the building’s window and the road outside.
“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’ since 2014,” Khan added.
Video shows the civilian public administration building was heavily damaged.
The ICC’s remarks come after Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of war crimes as Putin’s forces launched vacuum bomb attacks on Kharkiv, the country’s second largest city.
On Monday, Zelenskyy said that Russia was in “violation of all conventions” in its cluster attacks on Ukrainian people.
Khan continued: “Given the expansion of the conflict in recent days, it is my intention that this investigation will also encompass any new alleged crimes falling within the jurisdiction of my office that are committed by any party to the conflict on any part of the territory of Ukraine.”
“I will continue to closely follow developments on the ground in Ukraine, and again call for restraint and strict adherence to the applicable rules of international humanitarian law,” he said on Monday.
The invasion of Ukraine is being met with strong resistance that has slowed down the plan to seize key targets and infrastructure.
The war is now entering a new phase, with Russian forces aiming to surround and take over cities such as Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Kherson, and Mariupol.
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