The chief of the International Criminal Court has called for international support for the court's investigation into alleged war crimes by Russians in Ukraine.

ICC President Piotr Hofmanski spoke to NHK in Tokyo on Friday.

The judge said it's the most wide-ranging situation the court has ever dealt with.
He said that there are hundreds of victims and also possibly many perpetrators.

The ICC chief indicated that the ongoing probe is the largest by the ICC since it was established in 2003.

He said, "Everything from the beginning is more complex, more difficult, and more costly, including the process of the collecting evidence, security of victims, costs of travels, and so on."

He called for international support as the investigation is expected to take time and require more resources.

The ICC cannot seek cooperation from Russia as the country has not ratified the international treaty that governs the ICC. The question is whether the court can try Russia's political and military leaders based on evidence collected in Ukraine.

Hofmanski said if charges are brought against them, the ICC judges will consider what to do.

He said that the ICC wants to attract more professionals from Japan to apply for positions at the court.

He also said that the ICC wants to help strengthen the educational system in Japan in respect to international criminal law.

The ICC is considering opening an office in Japan, which is the largest donor country to the organization.