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The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, alleging Moscow's forcible deportation of Ukrainian children is a war crime, as the Kremlin reacted with outrage.

Russia has not concealed a program under which it has brought thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia but presents it as a humanitarian campaign to protect orphans and children abandoned in the conflict zone.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the move would lead to "historic accountability", adding that the deportations constituted a policy of "state evil which starts precisely with the top official of this state."

The announcement on Friday provoked a furious response from Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia found the very questions raised by the ICC "outrageous and unacceptable", and that any decisions of the court were "null and void" with respect to Russia. Russia, like the United States and China, is not a member of the ICC.

"Yankees, hands off Putin!" wrote parliament Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, a close ally of the president, on Telegram.

"We regard any attacks on the president of the Russian Federation as aggression against our country," he said.

The court also issued a warrant for Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's commissioner for children's rights, on the same charges.

Putin, only the third serving president to have been issued an arrest warrant by the ICC, is unlikely to end up in court any time soon. But the warrant means that he could be arrested and sent to The Hague if he travels to any ICC member states.

"This makes Putin a pariah. If he travels he risks arrest. This never goes away. Russia cannot gain relief from sanctions without compliance with the warrants," said Stephen Rapp, former US ambassador-at-large for war crimes.

Moscow's forces have been accused of multiple abuses during Russia's year-old invasion of its neighbour Ukraine, including by a United Nations-mandated investigative body that this week described soldiers making children watch loved ones being raped.

Moscow has repeatedly denied accusations its forces have committed atrocities during the invasion, which it calls a special military operation.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan began investigating possible war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Ukraine a year ago. He said he was looking at alleged crimes against children and the targeting of civilian infrastructure.

News of the arrest warrant came ahead of a planned state visit to Moscow next week by Chinese President Xi Jinping which is likely to cement much closer ties between Russia and China just as relations between Moscow and the West hit new lows.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby on Friday said the US had deep concerns China might try to promote a ceasefire because that would not currently lead to a just and lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia.

In another diplomatic development related to the Ukraine war, President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey's parliament would begin ratifying Finland's NATO bid, removing the biggest remaining hurdle to enlarging the Western defence alliance.

Ukrainian forces on Friday continued to withstand Russian assaults on the ruined city of Bakhmut, the focal point for eight months of Russian attempts to advance through the industrial Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine bordering Russia.

Bakhmut has become Europe's bloodiest infantry battle since World War Two. Russian forces have captured the city's eastern part but have so far failed to encircle it.

Russian forces also conducted four air strikes on the frontline town of Avdiivka south of Bakhmut on Friday, Yermak, the Ukrainian presidential staff chief, wrote on Telegram. "The city is being shelled almost around the clock," he wrote.

Reuters could not immediately verify those battlefield reports.

Russia denies deliberately attacking civilians but says it has hit infrastructure to degrade Ukraine's military and remove what it says is a potential threat to its own security.

Ukraine and its allies accuse Moscow of an unprovoked war to grab territory from its pro-Western neighbour.

© RAW 2023

Supersubs Brandon Smith and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves have helped the Sydney Roosters avenge last year's bitter finals loss to South Sydney as they came from behind to down their arch rivals 20-18.

In their first NRL meeting since last September's finals encounter that included a record seven sin-bin offences, the Roosters had to dig deep, overturning a 10-0 deficit at Allianz Stadium to claim a gusty victory.

The introduction of veteran prop Waerea-Hargreaves and hooker Smith, who nearly didn't play on Friday due to an oblique strain, changed the game when Souths were on top.

The 34-year-old Waerea-Hargreaves had the best yardage figures of any forward with 149 running metres and Smith's try helped the Roosters claw their way back into the game.

"We had to hold our cool but they changed momentum," said Robinson.

"But I feel like we dominated from thereon in, there were opportunities around the ruck for 'Jazz' and Brandon.

"It's 'Jazz's' first game back since a long lay-off - he only got five minutes at the World Cup - and Brandon only just got across the line (to be cleared to play).

"It wasn't going to be won in the 20 minutes, but we knew the impact was coming."

Referee Gerard Sutton controlled the contest well and it wasn't until the last five minutes when things started to get out of hand.

Sutton was forced to sin bin Roosters centre Joey Manu and Souths' Michael Chee Kam, who could both face sanction, after a nasty push-and-shove at the death.

Souths fullback Latrell Mitchell, who was playing his first game since being the victim of racial abuse, had flashes of brilliance despite being booed throughout the game.

It couldn't have started much worse for Mitchell's side after they lost prop Hame Sele to a head injury assessment in the opening minute.

But despite the early setback, the Rabbitohs were able to hit the lead through Keaon Kololoamatangi and then increase their advantage when Mitchell sent Alex Johnston in at the corner with a cutout pass.

Souths looked good value for their early advantage, but Robinson rolled out Waerea-Hargreaves and Smith and the Roosters didn't look back.

Smith darted over in the 35th minute and Daniel Tupou crossed soon after to draw the Roosters level.

A Mitchell penalty on the stroke of halftime gave Souths a 12-10 lead at the break but they were left to rue a missed opportunity when Campbell Graham butchered a two-on-one that would have sent Izaac Thompson in at the corner.

"It was the story of our game, we didn't ice our chances we left three or four tries we left out there," said Souths coach Jason Demetriou.

"I think it was seven linebreaks to four and 62 per cent completion rate, but we've got to tidy up our ball control.

"We made way too many errors coming out of our own end."

Former Rabbitohs winger Jaxson Paulo crossed for a late double.

Souths could only offer a response in the last minute, with Thompson crossing when both sides were down to 12.

© AAP 2023

The Dolphins have set the scene for a heavyweight first clash with Brisbane after continuing their perfect start to life in the NRL with a 36-20 win over Newcastle.

Wayne Bennett's men made it three-from-three to start their maiden season on Friday evening, in what they conceded was their ugliest win so far.

The Knights were gutsy, despite nine men out and three debutants on the bench at McDonald Jones Stadium, with a Daniel Saifiti shoulder injury set to add to their woes.

Halfback Jackson Hastings ended the game off the field for a concussion check from whiplash - which he passed - after earlier combining nicely with Lachlan Miller and Tyson Gamble.

The Knights twice fought back valiantly, providing the try of the night to go ahead 16-14 early in the second half when Bradman Best and Gamble combined from a 20-metre tap and Miller went 70m to score untouched.

But ultimately their lack of experience showed, as the hosts faded with Hastings off the field after a late hit from Felise Kaufusi and Kalyn Ponga out indefinitely through concussion.

It means next Friday's first clash between the Dolphins and the Broncos will be close to a top-of-the-table battle, with Brisbane also entering this weekend unbeaten.

"It's the easiest game in the world to coach next week," Bennett said.

"These are the hard games (against the Knights). These are the pressure games.

"Everyone is going to want to play in (the Brisbane derby).

"If you're a football player you're going to want to be there, in the best stadium in Australia. I don't think anyone needs to be motivated to be there."

Former Bronco Tesi Niu bagged three tries as the Dolphins troubled the Knights down the left edge while containing the dangerous Dom Young nicely.

Niu's former Brisbane teammate Jamayne Isaako scored the match-sealer, after another ex-Bronco, Brenko Lee, put him into space with the Dolphins down to 12 men after Kaufusi was sin-binned for his late shot.

Tom Gilbert was also impressive, running 153 metres and making 38 tackles as the workhorse of the Dolphins' middle.

The Dolphins dominated the early stages before a lacklustre middle 40, with two of Niu's tries in the first half the result of slick passes from his centre Euan Aitken.

Kodi Nikorima also claimed a four-pointer before the break when he went over from dummy-half.

But the Knights were able to keep the margin to four points through tries to Gamble and Miller.

Both came from nice lead-up work, with Miller's particularly impressive when he laid on a short ball for Lachlan Fitzgibbon and wrapped around the outside in support to score.

Miller's 70-metre burst for his second was equally delightful after the break, but from there it fell apart for the Knights.

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow swooped on a loose ball after a Connelly Lemuelu bust, Niu claimed his third on the left wing and Isaako bagged a late double on the right as the Dolphins ran away with the game.

The Knights desperately missed Hastings' direction in the final 10 minutes.

"If you've got them down to 12 you want your halves out there," Newcastle coach Adam O'Brien said.

"But that's not the reason why we didn't get the job done.

"We got our noses out in front and we came up with some uncharacteristic things in defence."

© AAP 2023