Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev issued an ominous warning on Monday, suggesting that Russia could strike the International Criminal Court (ICC) with a hypersonic missile in response to its decision to issue an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin.
Attempts to try Putin in the ICC would have "monstrous" consequences for international law, Medvedev, deputy head of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, said in a statement on his Telegram channel.
The ICC, which is based in The Hague in the Netherlands, concluded on Friday that the Russian leader had committed war crimes in his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which started almost 13 months ago, citing the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children. It marked the first time that an arrest warrant has been issued against the leader of one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.
"The ICC judges got excited in vain. Look, they say, we are brave, and we raised a hand against the largest nuclear power without c******* ourselves," wrote Medvedev.
"Alas, gentlemen, everyone walks under God and rockets. It is quite possible to imagine the targeted use of a hypersonic 'Onyx' from the North Sea from a Russian ship at the Hague courthouse," he went on, referring to a naval cruise missile.
"And the court is just a miserable international organization, not the population of a NATO country. That's why they won't start a war. They will be afraid. And no one will feel sorry for them. So, judges of the court, look carefully into the sky…," Medvedev added.
When contacted by Newsweek, the ICC said: "The Court does not comment on alleged political statements."
The ICC's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, announced on March 2, 2022, that his office would be looking into possible war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine, after nearly 40 ICC member states put in a request for an investigation.
Officials and world leaders had been calling for Putin to be held accountable amid an increasing civilian death toll in Ukraine, just days after the Russian leader launched his full-scale invasion of the neighboring country.
On Friday, Khan announced that his office had identified the deportation of "at least hundreds of children taken from orphanages and children's care homes."
Given that Moscow does not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction or extradite its nationals, it is highly unlikely that the Russian president will face trial at the ICC.
The issuance of the warrant means that the 123 member states of the ICC are obliged, if they have such an opportunity, and if the person against whom the decision was made is on their territory, to arrest the individual concerned and transfer them to the ICC in The Hague.
It is uncertain how many children have been taken forcibly to Russia. However, in February, a report from the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab alleged that in the past year at least 6,000 children from Ukraine had been sent to Russian "re-education" camps.
Update 03/20/23 8:03 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from the ICC.
Update 03/20/23 6:23 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and quotes.
Do you have a tip on a world news story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about the Russia-Ukraine war? Let us know via worldnews@newsweek.com.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek Reporter based in Kuala Lumpur. Her focus is reporting on the Russia-Ukraine war. Isabel ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
