The cases, which were reported by Axios, CNN, The New York Times and Reuters, are based on evidence that Russia has abducted Ukrainian children and teenagers and sent them to Russian re-education camps, and that Russia has deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, schools and water supply systems.
The ICC said that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the alleged crimes, for having committed them directly alongside others, and for his failure to exercise control properly over civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts.
The other Russian official named in the arrest warrant is Maria Lvova-Belova, who is accused of being directly involved in the abduction of Ukrainian children.
The cases represent some of the first international charges issued since the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine, which began in 2022 after Russia launched an unprovoked attack on its neighbour. More than 40 countries that are party to the ICC had requested its intervention, according to The New York Times.
The ICC is an independent judicial institution that was established in 2002 to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression. However, its jurisdiction is limited by the fact that not all countries have ratified its founding treaty, known as the Rome Statute. Russia is one of those countries that has not ratified the treaty and does not recognize the authority of the ICC.
The Kremlin has denounced the ICC's actions as "outrageous and unacceptable" and said that any decisions of this kind are null and void for Russia from a legal point of view. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov tweeted that Russia considers "the very posing of the question outrageous and unacceptable".
On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the ICC's decision as "historic" and said that Ukraine's investigations also suggest that Kremlin had direct involvement in the forced deportation of children into Russia. He said that more than 16,000 forced deportations of Ukrainian children by the occupier have already been recorded.
The ICC's arrest warrants are unlikely to result in any immediate arrests or extraditions of Putin or Lvova-Belova, given Russia's rejection of its jurisdiction. However, they could have significant political implications by increasing international pressure on Russia to end its aggression against Ukraine and respect human rights.
They could also limit Putin's ability to travel abroad without risking arrest by countries that cooperate with the ICC. Moreover, they could set a precedent for future cases against other Russian officials or military personnel who may be implicated in war crimes or crimes against humanity.
The ICC's move comes amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine over Crimea,
Donbas and other disputed territories. The UN has recently accused Russian forces of committing an array of violations that amount to war crimes and possible crimes against humanity. These include willful killings, torture, rape, forced transfers and deportation of children.
The international community has expressed its support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and condemned Russia's aggression. The US and its allies have imposed sanctions on Russia and provided military assistance to Ukraine. They have also called for diplomatic dialogue
to resolve the conflict peacefully.
However, Russia has shown no signs of backing down or complying with international law. It has continued to amass troops near the border with Ukraine and conduct provocative military exercises.
It has also rejected any negotiations with Ukraine unless it recognizes Crimea as part of Russia
and grants autonomy to Donbas separatists. The situation remains volatile and unpredictable, with fear of a full-scale war erupting at any moment. The ICC's intervention may be seen as a last-ditch effort to hold Russia accountable for its actions and deter further atrocities. But it may also provoke more defiance and hostility from Moscow, which could escalate the crisis even further.