Russia skips ICJ hearing, calls the lawsuit filed by Ukraine as 'absurd'

Russia skipped the hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which was taking the case of Ukraine regarding the act of genocide by Russia in the ongoing war and Russia termed the lawsuit as 'absurd'.

The ICJ in The Hague was hearing Ukraine's application to initiate a case on genocide against Russia, with Kyiv denying that acts of genocide have been committed in the people's republics of Donetsk and Luhansk (DPR and LPR). The Russian delegation was not present at the ICJ session.

"On March 7-8, UN International Court of Justice in The Hague held a hearing on the request for provisional measures presented by Ukraine in an unsubstantiated lawsuit against Russia. In light of the apparent absurdity of the lawsuit, we decided not to attend it," said the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Permanent Representative of President of Ukraine in Crimea, Anton Korynevich, told the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Monday that Kyiv intends to prove the groundlessness of Russia's accusations of genocide against Ukraine.

"Ukraine's case is straightforward. Russia accuses Ukraine of committing genocide. Ukraine denies that claim in the strongest possible terms and we will prove it," Korynevich said.

Ukraine on February 27 filed an Application instituting proceedings against the Russian Federation before the ICJ, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.

Korynevich at the ICJ hearing slammed Russia for "disrespecting the international law.""Not the first time that Ukraine experienced first-hand Russia's disrespect for international law. Now the world understands its disrespect & the hate of its cruelty...Putin lies & citizens of Ukraine die," he remarked at the ICJ.

Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions, Donetsk and Luhansk as independent republics followed by the announcement of a "special military operation" to "demilitarize" and "denazify" Ukraine.

( With inputs from ANI )