Judges at the International Criminal Court on Wednesday agreed the prosecutor could open a new investigation into allegations of war crimes during a brief but bloody 2008 war between Russia and Georgia.

In what will be the ICC's first probe into alleged abuses by Russia, the court said in a statement it had "authorised the prosecutor to proceed with an investigation for the crimes within the ICC jurisdiction, allegedly committed in and around South Ossetia, Georgia, between 1 July and 10 October 2008."