By DPA

Ukraine has filed a lawsuit against Russia at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) demanding immediate action against Russia and has invoked the convention against genocide.

Ukraine said Russia had “falsely claimed” that genocide was being committed in the breakaway republics of Luhansk and Donetsk in order to justify an invasion.

Russia “emphatically” denies the allegations, the indictment states.

The court is now expected to declare in emergency proceedings that “Russia has no legal basis” for its military action in and against Ukraine.

A date for a hearing has not yet been set.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi had earlier announced the lawsuit via Twitter.

In the indictment, Ukraine also accuses Russia of “planning acts of genocide in Ukraine” and “intentionally killing or seriously injuring people of Ukrainian nationality.

“The court is expected to order immediate measures to prevent the violation of the rights of Ukraine and its citizens.’’

Court proceedings before the International Court of Justice are usually lengthy.

However, in the case of an urgent application, a hearing can be scheduled within a few weeks.

A case against Russia was already underway before the UN court.

Ukraine had accused the country of occupying the Crimean Peninsula, as well as funding pro-Russian separatists in its eastern region of Donbass and supplying them with weapons.

The function of the International Court of Justice is to settle conflicts between states peacefully, and its judgements are binding.

However, the court has no means of forcing a losing state to implement its ruling, though it can appeal to the UN Security Council if its ruling was ignored.

DPA