Arrest warrant issued for Vladimir Putin by International Criminal Court over crimes in Ukraine

The warrant has been issued for the Russian President over crimes committed in Ukraine from at least February 24, 2022 - the day Russia launched a full scale invasion. The ICC alleges he is responsible for war crimes, including the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.

The court also said the Russian leader failed to exercise his rights to stop others who deported children. Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, is also wanted by the ICC. Despite the warrant, the ICC has no powers to arrest suspects, and can only exercise jurisdiction within countries who are signed up to the agreement that set up the court.

Russia is not a signatory to that agreement - so it is unlikely either will be extradited. Moscow has denied allegations of war crimes during the invasion. In response to the arrest warrant, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: “The decisions of the International Criminal Court have no meaning for our country, including from a legal point of view.”