Ukraine’s prosecutor general said Thursday the International Criminal Court (ICC) had opened a field office in Kyiv, as part of efforts to hold Russian forces accountable for potential war crimes.
Kyiv has called for a special tribunal to be created to hold Moscow responsible for violations committed during its invasion, launched on Feb. 24, 2022.
“Today marks a pivotal stride in our journey towards restoring justice,” Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin wrote on social media.
“The field office of the International Criminal Court has opened in Ukraine, the largest ICC office outside The Hague. Now our cooperation will be even more effective and efficient.”
The move comes after an international office to probe Russia for the war crime of aggression opened in The Hague in March in what Kyiv called a “historic” first step towards a tribunal for Moscow’s leadership.
“Unlike Russia’s criminal regime, Ukraine has nothing to hide,” Kostin said.
“Together with the entire civilized world, we are united by one goal — to ensure the aggressor is held accountable for all the crimes perpetrated,” he added.
Several Western countries have sent investigators to Ukraine at various stages of the war to help Kyiv probe crimes by Russian forces.
The ICC, based in The Hague, is probing possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the war on Ukraine.
It has also issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the illegal movement of Ukrainian children to Russia.