The Joint Investigative Team (JIT) to investigate Russian war crimes in Ukraine has expanded to include the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a participant, the website of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine said Monday.

"For the first time ever, the ICC's Office of the Prosecutor General has joined the JIT. Exactly one month ago, we and our colleagues from Lithuania and Poland, with the support of Eurojust, created the JIT to investigate Russian atrocities on the territory of our state. I am convinced that joining one more member will make the investigation and prosecution of war crimes and crimes against humanity more effective and coordinated. Justice for the victims and punishment for the perpetrators is a challenge for the entire global legal front and our joint investigation team has become its vanguard," said Prosecutor General of Ukraine Iryna Venediktova.

As noted in the report, each of the JIT member states has its own national investigation into Russia's aggression in Ukraine. A fully independent investigation has been launched by the ICC Prosecutor's Office. The parties and participants in the JIT will coordinate their actions, plan investigative strategies together, and exchange information and evidence quickly and safely.