Okhmatdyt attack: Ukraine's Prosecutor General urges ICC to hold Russia accountable

"For the sake of international justice, cases like the intentional attack on the biggest child hospital in Kyiv (are) worth lifting to the ICC," Kostin said.

Kostin, in an interview in The Hague, said that if the ICC takes on the charges related to the hospital attack, it would help establish a pattern of attacks indicative of crimes against humanity committed by Russia in Ukraine.

The ICC prosecutor's office stated that one of its teams visited the site of the strike on Okhmatdyt. While the ICC does not publicly comment on which charges it is investigating, it warned that anyone deemed responsible for attacking civilian objects could be held accountable.

Kostin said that the decision to initiate a case rests with the ICC prosecutor, adding that Ukraine is ready to provide the court with any material evidence or details from its investigation.

The Prosecutor General added that while Ukrainian authorities are investigating all recent attacks on Kyiv, they can only press charges for war crimes, not the more serious crimes against humanity, as they are not included in Ukraine's Criminal Code.

According to Kostin, a key element of prosecutions for crimes against humanity involves demonstrating systematic attacks on civilians.

"It's important to show that Russia itself, at the moment, is a criminal state," he emphasized.

Missile Strike on Okhmatdyt

On July 8, Russian forces launched a barbaric missile strike on Ukraine using various types of missiles. As a result, Kyiv suffered significant destruction.

One of the missiles hit the toxicology building of the Okhmatdyt children's hospital, destroying it. Four other buildings of the facility were damaged. The attack resulted in fatalities and injuries among medical staff and young patients.

For more details on the aftermath of the July 8 shelling, refer to RBC-Ukraine's coverage.