Kremlin says ICC arrest warrants for military leaders 'absurd'

The Kremlin on Wednesday dismissed arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for ex-defence minister Sergei Shoigu and army chief Valery Gerasimov as "absurd" and lacking legal force.

The Hague-based court said Tuesday it had issued arrest warrants for the pair over a barrage of Russian missile strikes against Ukrainian energy targets and civilian sites that the ICC said could be classed as "war crimes".

Russia is not a member of the ICC, but the arrest warrant mandates the more than 120 states that are to arrest Shoigu or Gerasimov if they set foot on their territory.

"We do not recognise the jurisdiction of this court, we are not a member of the relevant statute and therefore we do not recognise these warrants" Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.

"Moreover, we consider them quite absurd, just like the last two warrants which concerned the head of state and children's ombudsman," he added.

The ICC last year issued arrest warrants for President Vladimir Putin and his children's ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova over the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia and Russian-controlled territory.

Shoigu was removed as defence minister last month in a major shake-up of Russia's military leadership, moving to become secretary of the Security Council.

Gerasimov is chief of the General Staff and has overall operational command of Russia's offensive in Ukraine.

© Agence France-Presse