Italy is among countries that are petitioning the International Criminal Court to investigate suspected war crimes being committed by Russia in Ukraine during its intensifying invasion of the country that began last Thursday.
"I have just signed, together with other countries, the activation procedure of the International Criminal Court, to identify the existence of any war crimes in Ukraine," foreign minister Luigi Di Maio tweeted on Wednesday.
More than 2,000 civilians and 10 emergency services personnel have so far been killed in Russia's attack on Ukraine by air, land and sea, the country's emergency services said on Monday.
Over 800,000 people have now fled Ukraine and the conflict is expected to produce several million refugees, according to the United Nations.
