Widespread Russian attacks amid Putin’s arrest warrant

Kyiv, March 18

Widespread Russian attacks continued in Ukraine following the International Criminal Court's decision to issue an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia's commissioner for children's rights. Ukraine was attacked by 16 Russian drones late Friday night, the Ukrainian Air Force said.

Writing on Telegram, the air force command said 11 out of 16 drones were shot down “in the central, western and eastern regions.” Among areas targeted were capital Kyiv and the western Lviv province.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the attacks were carried out from the eastern coast of the Sea of Azov and Russia's Bryansk province, which borders Ukraine.The Ukrainian military additionally said in its regular update that Russian forces launched 34 airstrikes, a missile strike and 57 rounds of anti-aircraft fire. The Facebook update said falling debris hit the Kherson province, damaging houses and a kindergarten.

According to Ukraine, Russia is continuing to concentrate its efforts on offensive operations in Ukraine's industrial east, focusing attacks on Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Marinka and Shakhtarsk in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk province. Pavlo Kyrylenko, regional Governor of the Donetsk province, said 11 towns and villages in the province were shelled. Further west, Russian rockets hit a residential area overnight in the city of Zaporizhzhia, the regional capital of the partially occupied province of the same name.

The International Criminal Court said on Friday that it has issued an arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine, together with Russia's commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova. It is the first time the global court has issued a warrant against a leader of one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Its practical implications, however, could be limited as the chances of Putin facing trial at the ICC are highly unlikely because Moscow does not recognise the court's jurisdiction or extradite its nationals. — AP

LIMITED IMPLICATIONS OF ICC MOVE

• First time the ICC has moved against leader of a permanent UNSC member
• The chances of Putin facing trial at the ICC highly unlikely as Moscow doesn't recognise the court's jurisdiction or extradite its nationals

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