Russia, Ukraine face off at UN court

A representative of Moscow told the International Court of Justice in The Hague on Monday that it lacks jurisdiction in ordering Russia to suspend its military offensive against Ukraine because Kyiv's reason for it to issue the order is flawed.

Gennady Kuzmin was sitting only meters from the Ukrainian delegation at the court in Peace Palace when he presented Russia's argument and said that mere "statements" about genocide are not admissible under international law including the United Nations Genocide Convention.

In March 2022, the ICJ ordered Russia to "immediately suspend" its military action as petitioned by Ukraine. The case stemmed from Kyiv's suit disputing Russia's accusation of bullying and genocide.

Kyiv argued that Russia's use of "genocide" as a pretext for the invasion of Ukraine went against the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.

According to Russia, Ukraine's argument falls outside the scope of the UNGC.

Ukraine's legal position is "hopelessly flawed" and "at odds with the longstanding jurisprudence" of the court, Kuzmin concluded.

Ukraine will issue its response on Tuesday.

More than 30 other countries — all Western allies of Ukraine — will also have the chance to make statements in support of Kyiv. The ICJ dismissed a bid by the United States to join the case.

The court, created after World War II to deal with disputes between UN member states when they cannot resolve matters themselves, could take months to decide whether it has jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, Ukraine said Monday its air defense systems had downed a swarm of Russian attack drones and nearly 20 cruise missiles in Russia's latest aerial barrage overnight.

"A total of 24 strike unmanned aerial vehicles were recorded around the Mykolaiv and Odesa regions. Eighteen attack drones were shot down by air defence units along the tracking route," the Ukrainian air force said on social media, adding that: "All 17 missiles were shot down."

Russia said it repelled Ukrainian drone attacks over several parts of Crimea, outer Moscow and two border regions on Sunday.

"Drones were intercepted over the western, southwestern, northwestern and eastern parts of the Crimean peninsula; Istra and Domodedovo districts of Moscow region, Belgorod and Voronezh regions," Russia's defense ministry said on Telegram in the round-up of Sunday's attacks.

WITH AFP