The International Criminal Court’s prosecutors are looking into claims that Russia conducted cyberattacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, committing war crimes in the process.
Media reports stated that this is the first indication that cyberattacks are being looked at by foreign prosecutors.
If sufficient evidence is gathered, this might result in the issuance of arrest warrants.
One official stated that the probe is looking into attacks on infrastructure that put lives in jeopardy by cutting off water and power supply, cutting off emergency services connections, or turning off mobile data networks that broadcast alerts about impending air raids.
Newsng gathered that the scope of the probe extends beyond the current conflict, which started in February 2022 with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Crimea, it might possibly look at cyberattacks from 2015.
According to two other sources close to the ICC prosecutor’s office cited by Reuters, investigations into cyberattacks in Ukraine may extend as far as 2015, the year following Russia’s seizure and unilateral annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine.
Moscow had consistently refuted claims that it conducts cyberattacks, characterising the charges as an attempt to stir up anti-Russian sentiment.
Ukraine is gathering proof to back up the ICC prosecutor’s inquiry according to the report.
The ICC prosecutor’s office has stated that it has the authority to look into cybercrimes, but it did not respond to requests for comment on Friday.
Also, it has stated that it is unable to comment on issues related to ongoing investigations.
We earlier reported that a former employee as an engineer at Amazon, Shakeeb Ahmed, has been sentenced to a three-year term behind bars due to his involvement in a crypto breach that netted over $12 million.