Russian President Vladimir Putin has been declared a war criminal by US politicians as his country’s invasion of Ukraine continues.
The US Senate last night backed the resolution which was supported by senators on both sides of the political divide last night.
Officials at the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague have now been encouraged to investigate the Russian military for potential war crimes committed during the invasion of Ukraine.
Putin claims to have ordered his armed forces to carry out a ‘special military operation’ to demilitarise and ‘denazify’ Russia’s neighbouring country.
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday: “All of us in this chamber joined together, with Democrats and Republicans, to say that Vladimir Putin cannot escape accountability for the atrocities committed against the Ukrainian people.”
A total of 691 people, including 47 children, have been confirmed to have died in the conflict, according to the latest records from the United Nations - but the death toll is believed to be much higher.
Most of the casualties recorded have been caused by the use of explosives, including shelling from heavy artillery, missiles and air strikes.
It is also estimated that more than three million people have fled Ukraine since the conflict started on February 24.
Nicola Sturgeon is also among the leading politicians to brand Vladimir Putin as a war criminal.
The First Minister has called for the Russian president to be held accountable for his actions in Ukraine.
She told the Scottish Parliament last week: “Vladimir Putin is committing, on a daily basis, crimes against international law, he is committing crimes against humanity, he is committing war crimes.
“It is important to do everything that is possible to stop Vladimir Putin, but it is also important to ensure that he pays the severest price for the actions he is undertaking and the crimes he is committing now.”
What constitutes a war crime?
The rules of war are set out in The Geneva Conventions and a string of other protocols internationally.
Their purpose to to set out the limits of war and offers protection to civilians caught in the middle of conflict.
Breaches of the rules could see figures appear at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, to answer any allegations of war crimes.
According to the text, intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population and attacking non-military objectives would constitute a war crime.
The use of certain weapons is banned due to the indiscriminate or appalling suffering they cause - such as chemical or biological weapons.
Torture, the taking of hostages and denying prisoners of war the right to a fair trial are also prohibited.
What war crime allegations have been made about Russia?
Russia has already been referred to the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes by the UK and 37 of its allies.
The Russian military has been accused of using so-called vacuum bombs, which are not illegal but ate strictly regulated according to the Ministry of Defence.
Homes and hospitals are said to have been targeted by Putin's forces during the conflict.
Three people, including a child, were killed after a Russian strike on a maternity and children’s hospital in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol last week.
The attack is said to have taken place during an agreed ceasefire with the Russian forces.
Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky called the incident a war crime.
