Behind Putin’s arrest warrant: Detention, deportation and torture of Ukrainians – BBC Newsnight

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has become the first serving head of a major state to be subject to an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes.

While his arrest does not seem likely imminently and the Kremlin dismissed the move, it means Putin could become a bargaining chip with a future Russian government, say experts.

The specific charges relate to the forcible transfer of Ukrainian children from territory seized by Russia.

The ICC said there were "reasonable grounds" to believe Putin was responsible for the "unlawful deportation of children" and the judges said they made the warrant decision public on Friday in the hope of preventing "the further commission of crimes".

Mike Thomson’s report contains contains details you might find distressing. 

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