The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for two high-ranking Russian military officers on charges linked to attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.

It is only the second time the global court has publicly announced arrest warrants linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

In March 2023, the court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.

On Tuesday, the court announced warrants for Russian Lieutenant General Sergei Ivanovich Kobylash, who was commander of the Long-Range Aviation of the Aerospace Force at the time of the alleged crimes.

Also wanted is Russian navy Admiral Viktor Kinolayevich Sokolov, who was the commander of the Black Sea Fleet.

They are wanted for the war crime of directing attacks at civilian objects, and causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects, and the crime against humanity of inhumane acts.

The court said that judges who reviewed evidence presented by prosecutors said that there are “reasonable grounds to believe” that the two men are responsible for “missile strikes carried out by the forces under their command against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure” from October 10 2022 until at least March 9 2023.

“During this time-frame, there was an alleged campaign of strikes against numerous electric power plants and sub-stations, which were carried out by the Russian armed forces in multiple locations in Ukraine,” the court said.

There is little prospect that either of the suspects will be turned over to face trial in The Hague.

Russia isn’t a member of the global court, doesn’t recognise its jurisdiction and refuses to hand over suspects charged by the court.

The court didn’t release details of the warrants, “in order to protect witnesses and to safeguard the investigations”.

But it said it publicised the warrants “mindful that conduct similar to that addressed in the present situation, which amounts to violations of international humanitarian law, is alleged to be ongoing” and saying that publication “may contribute to the prevention of the further commission of crimes”.

When it issued the arrest warrant for Putin last year, the court also issued a warrant for Maria Lvova-Belova, the commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation on the same charges of involvement in child abductions.