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Three developments on 5 March 2024
Summary
A look back at a day of legal, naval and diplomatic moves linked to the war in Ukraine and NATO enlargement.
What did 5 March 2024 add to the picture of the war in Ukraine and Europe's security order? Three separate developments, one legal, one military and one diplomatic, were reported that day.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Sergey Kobylash, commander of the Long-Range Aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces, and Viktor Sokolov, commander of the Black Sea Fleet. The warrants concerned their involvement in Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure. They placed named senior military commanders within the court's investigation in Ukraine.
At sea, the Russian Navy patrol ship Sergey Kotov was sunk in the Black Sea after being struck by Ukrainian MAGURA V5 naval drones. The report came on the same day as the warrant for the Black Sea Fleet's commander, though the reports link the two events only by date and region.
In Budapest, Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok signed a bill formally authorising the Foreign Ministry to ratify Sweden's accession to NATO. That was a formal step in the enlargement process.
Taken together, the three items show the conflict being pursued through courts, at sea and through alliance membership procedures, each on its own track.
