The UK and 37 other countries formally referred Russia on Wednesday to the International Criminal Court (ICC) over atrocities committed during its war on Ukraine.

A preliminary examination of the situation in Ukraine was opened against Russia in 2014, when the Kremlin annexed the Ukrainian territory of Crimea. However, on Monday, an ICC prosecutor intended to seek authorization to launch an investigation into Russian attacks in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir “Putin’s military machine is targeting civilians indiscriminately and tearing through towns across Ukraine,” Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement.

“An investigation by the International Criminal Court into Russia’s barbaric acts is urgently needed and it is right that those responsible are held to account. The UK will work closely with allies to ensure justice is done,” Truss added.

The referral made by the UK and 37 other nations will now allow the prosecutor to proceed with an investigation without official judicial approval.

The British government has argued that Russia’s indiscriminate use of force against innocent civilians in its war on Ukraine amounts to war crimes for which Putin should be held accountable.

“As a founder member of the International Criminal Court, the UK is willing to provide the necessary technical assistance to support successful convictions,” said Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab.

“The critical task now is to preserve properly all evidence of war crimes. Any Russian leader or officer carrying out orders that amount to war crimes should know they face ending up in the dock of a court and ultimately in prison,” Raab added.

The referral is the largest in the ICC’s history. The majority of countries who joined the UK were European but also included Georgia in the Caucasus and Colombia in South America./aa