Ukraine is also fighting the Russian invasion with legal means. Februar/ März 2022

Only two days after the beginning of the war, on 26 February 2022, Ukraine filed an application instituting proceedings against the Russian Federation before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, concerning “a dispute . . . Antrag auf Einleitung eines Verfahrens gegen die Russische Föderation wegen “einer Streitigkeit … über die Auslegung, Anwendung und Erfüllung der Konvention von 1948 über die Verhütung und Bestrafung des Völkermordes” ein. In its Application, Ukraine contends, inter alia, that “the Russian Federation has falsely claimed that acts of genocide have occurred in the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts of Ukraine, and on that basis recognized the so-called ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ and ‘Luhansk People’s Republic’, and then declared and implemented a ‘special military operation’ against Ukraine”.

On 16 March 2022, the ICJ allowed Ukraine’s application and indicated the following provisional measures:

(1) The Russian Federation shall immediately suspend the military operations that it commenced on 24 February 2022 in the territory of Ukraine;

(2) The Russian Federation shall ensure that any military or irregular armed units which may be directed or supported by it, as well as any organizations and persons which may be subject to its control or direction, take no steps in furtherance of the military operations referred to in point (1) above; and

(3) Both Parties shall refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute before the Court or make it more difficult to resolv

Moreover, on 28 February 2022, Ukraine applied for interim legal protection at the European Court of Human Rights, and requested to indicate urgent interim measures to the Government of the Russian Federation, under Rule 39 of the Rules of Court,EGMR) einstweiligen Rechtsschutz und ersuchte darum, der Regierung der Russischen Föderation gemäß Artikel 39 der Geschäftsordnung des Gerichtshofs dringende einstweilige Maßnahmen in Bezug auf “massive Menschenrechtsverletzungen, die von den russischen Truppen im Zuge der militärischen Aggression gegen das souveräne Hoheitsgebiet der Ukraine begangen werden”, aufzuzeigen.

On 1 March 2022, the European Court of Human Rights decided to indicate to the Government of Russia to refrain from military attacks against civilians and civilian objects, including residential premises, emergency vehicles and other specially protected civilian objects such as schools and hospitals, and to ensure immediately the safety of the medical establishments, personnel and emergency vehicles within the territory under attack or siege by Russian troopspress release