The order, made in the case “Allegations of Genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide”, has also called for both Russia and Ukraine to refrain from any action “which might aggravate or extend the dispute before the court or make it more difficult to resolve”.

“The Russian Federation shall ensure that any military or irregular armed units which may be directed or supported by it, as well as any organisations and persons which may be subject to its control or direction, take no steps in furtherance of the military operations,” 13 of the 15 ICJ judges, including the president, ruled.

According to Reuters, the ICJ rulings are binding, but it has no direct means of enforcing them and, in rare cases, past countries have chosen to ignore them.

In delivering the ruling, president of the court Joan Donoghue of the United States said the necessary conditions were met to give ICJ the authority to indicate provisional measures, namely that the rights asserted by Ukraine are plausible and the condition of urgency was met, according to the United Nations.

“Any military operation, in particular one of the scale carried out by the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine, inevitably causes loss of life, mental and bodily harm, and damage to property and to the environment,” the president said.

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“Attacks are ongoing and are creating difficult living conditions for the civilian population. Many persons have no access to the most basic foodstuffs, potable water, electricity, essential medicines or heating. A very large number of people are attempting to flee from the most affected cities under extremely insecure conditions.”