On Friday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of being responsible for war crimes in Ukraine, Reuters reported.

Moscow has repeatedly dismissed allegations that its committed military crimes against its neighbours during the year-long incursion.

The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin on suspicion of illegal deportation of minors and unlawful transfer of people from Ukrainian territory to the Russian Federation, the report said.

In a statement, the court said Putin was “allegedly responsible for the war crimes of the illegal deportation of peoples (children) and the illegal transfer of peoples (children) from the occupied territories of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.”

The ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber found that “there are reasonable grounds to believe that each suspect is responsible for the war crimes of illegal deportation and unlawful transfer of populations from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia to the detriment of Ukrainian children,” according to the ICC.

Reuters reported earlier this week that the court would issue an arrest warrant, the first of its kind in an investigation into the conflict in Ukraine.

In addition, the court also issued an arrest warrant for Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Alexeyevna Livova-Belova on the same charge, the report added.

On Friday, Ukraine’s presidency said that the ICC’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Putin was just the first step in restoring justice in the wake of Russia’s aggression, AFP reported.

After the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of being responsible for war crimes in Ukraine, the Kremlin said it is “void”, AFP reported.