"We request an urgent decision ordering Russia to cease military activity now."
Ukraine has lodged a case against Russia to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in order to halt the ongoing invasion.
The Court, based in The Hague in the Netherlands, is the principal judicial section of the United Nations.
The announcement was made by Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday (27 February).
https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1497885721931268103?s=20&t=8J3hG5f5SUKX0ugr2PMH7w
"Ukraine has submitted its application against Russia to the ICJ," Zelensky said.
"Russia must be held accountable for manipulating the notion of genocide to justify aggression.
"We request an urgent decision ordering Russia to cease military activity now and expect trials to start next week."
The ICJ has previously been used to settle disputes of international law between countries.
While the ICJ does not have the power to prosecute individuals who are responsible for breaches of international law, the court could order Russia to pay reparations if they were tried and found guilty.
A case between Ukraine and Russia is
already pending in the ICJ, where Ukrainian officials alleged that Russia was in violation of the Terrorist Financing Convention and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Zelensky remains in the capital of Kyiv, which is under heavy fire from Russian military forces.
The Ukrainian President refused to be evacuated from the city by the US Government, stating that he required "
ammunition, not a ride."
The Irish Government have confirmed that
Irish airspace will be closed to Russian planes in response to the ongoing invasion.
The move was confirmed on Twitter earlier this morning by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney.
He wrote: "Shocking Russian attacks on Ukraine overnight. #Ireland will move to shut off Irish Airspace to all Russian Aircraft.
"We encourage other EU partners to do the same. We also support new wide-ranging sanctions to be agreed today at EU FAC & new assistance package for #Ukraine."
