The Ukraine Team Office of the Prosecutor International Criminal Court (ICC) focuses its work on the investigation into the deportation of Ukrainian children by Russia and the shelling of the energy system of Ukraine, as well as on the identification of the places of detention of Ukrainian military and civilians, where the most brutal crimes were committed, Head of the ICC Ukraine Team Office Brenda J. Hollis has said.

She emphasized that the ICC Team was focused on investigating the deportation of Ukrainian children and Russian attacks on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine, and the results of this work were ICC arrest warrants issued for Vladimir Putin, Maria Lvova-Belova and the senior military leadership of the Russian Federation.

Hollis also said that in the next stages the team will improve the investigation of these two cases in order to present evidence to the top-level judges and ask them to consider the arrest of Putin, Lvova-Belova and military commanders.

The ICC Team is also focused on the crimes that were committed against detained and arrested prisoners of war (POW) and civilians, Hollis said, adding that a very wide range of possible crimes were committed against these people.

She noted that a POW can be captured, but cannot be tortured while in captivity as this is an international crime. Civilians were also detained, Hollis said and stressed that the very detention of civilians is illegal.

Various crimes were recorded, including torture and violence, the head of the ICC Team said, adding that the team is in the process of determining which locations they want to focus on.

Hollis noted that the ICC Team cannot investigate the entire array of such crimes, so it focuses on specific cases in those places of detention where those illegally detained were subjected to the most serious torture.