In order to hold specific individuals accountable for acts of military aggression in Ukraine, it is important to create an ad hoc tribunal, Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova has said.

"There are the UN court in The Hague, which we have been watching since Monday [on March 7, the International Court of Justice began hearings on the suit of Ukraine against Russia in the case of genocide charges] and the International Criminal Court [ICC]. The competence of the UN Court concerns the prosecution of states, while the ICC holds specific individuals accountable," the prosecutor general said at a press conference on Wednesday in Lviv.

She recalled that Ukraine is not a state party to the Rome Statute, but 39 countries did it for Ukraine and applied to the ICC.

"The investigation has just begun," Venediktova said.

She stressed that the Prosecutor General's Office has been cooperating with the Office of the ICC Prosecutor for a very long time, more than 20 applications have already been submitted.

"We can't say that we will quickly receive a decision from the ICC. First, an investigation, then there will be a trial," the prosecutor general added.

Venediktova explained that the ICC competence is war crimes, crimes against humanity.

In this context, the Prosecutor General said: "Ukraine and Russia are not parties to the Rome Statute. Therefore, the ICC will not be able to consider the crimes of aggression, and for us this is the most important thing. That is why the question of the possible creation of an ad hoc tribunal is raised."

"We hope that some separate international institution will be brought to justice for crimes related to aggression," Venediktova summed up.