The ICC say that the Russian president “is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation”.

Moscow has repeatedly denied accusations of atrocities during its one-year invasion of its neighbour. Russia’s foreign ministry said the arrest warrant against Putin had “no significance whatsoever”.

Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said: “The decisions of the International Criminal Court have no meaning for our country, including from a legal point of view.

“Russia is not a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and bears no obligations under it.”

A possible trial of any Russians at the ICC remains a long way off, but Ukraine’s presidency said the arrest warrant was “just the beginning” in its fight to restore justice over Russia’s invasion.

Ukraine is also not a member of the court, but it has granted the ICC jurisdiction over its territory and ICC prosecutor Karim Khan has visited four times since opening an investigation a year ago.

ICC president Piotr Hofmanski said in a video statement on Friday that it will be up to the international community to enforce the warrants. The court has no police force of its own to enforce warrants.

The crimes were allegedly committed in Ukrainian occupied territory “at least” from the beginning of Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022.

“There are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through other, and for his failure to exercise control properly over civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts, or allowed for their commission, and who were under his effective authority and control, pursuant to superior responsibility,” the ICC stated on Friday.

The ICC also issued a warrant for the arrest of the Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation, Maria Lvova-Belova.

She is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.

“There are reasonable grounds to believe that Ms Lvova-Belova bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes, for having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others,” the ICC said.

It’s pre-trial chamber found, based on the prosecution’s applications made on February 22, 2023, that “there are reasonable grounds to believe” that Putin and Ms Lvova-Belova “bear responsibility” for the war crime of unlawful deportation of children – and that of unlawful transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation – in prejudice of Ukrainian children.

The chamber considered keeping the arrest warrants secret in order to protect victims and witnesses, and also to safeguard the investigation.

But it decided that it was “in the interests of justice” to publicly name Putin and Ms Lvova-Belova, their alleged crimes, and the modes of liability as established by the chamber.

On Thursday, a UN-backed inquiry cited Russian attacks against civilians in Ukraine, including systematic torture and killing in occupied regions, among potential issues that amount to war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity.

The investigation also found crimes committed against Ukrainians on Russian territory, including deported Ukrainian children who were prevented from reuniting with their families, a “filtration” system aimed at singling out Ukrainians for detention, and torture and inhumane detention conditions.

On Friday, the ICC put the face of Putin on the child abduction allegations.

News of the arrest warrant has come ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned state visit to Moscow next week.

The visit is likely to cement much closer ties between Russia and China just as relations between Moscow and the West hit new lows. Russia has been placed under unprecedented Western sanctions since its invasion of Ukraine.