'Watch skies closely': Russia's Medvedev threatens international court with missile strike

© Provided by India Today 'Watch skies closely': Russia's Medvedev threatens international court with missile strike

Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, on Monday threatened the International Criminal Court (ICC) with a missile strike after the organisation issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin.  

The ICC has accused Putin of being responsible for war crimes committed in Ukraine, but Russia has denied committing any atrocities in Ukraine. 

Medvedev, a staunch Putin loyalist, wrote on Telegram, "I'm afraid, gentlemen, everyone is answerable to God and missiles. It's quite possible to imagine how a hypersonic oniks fired from a Russian warship in the North Sea strikes the court building in the Hague. It can't be shot down, I'm afraid."

READ | International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant for Putin for Russia's war in Ukraine

The former Russian president also warned the ICC judges to "watch the skies closely," calling the court "a pathetic international organisation".

In its first warrant since the war broke out in February last year, the ICC called for Putin's arrest on suspicion of unlawful deportation of children and unlawful transfer of people from the territory of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.

ALSO READ | How ICC court warrant for Russia may affect Xi Jinping-Putin meeting

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan opened an investigation into possible war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Ukraine a year ago. He highlighted during four trips to Ukraine that he was looking at alleged crimes against children and the targeting of civilian infrastructure.

US President Joe Biden has called the warrant for Putin's arrest "justified".

(With inputs from Reuters)