Latest news with #Russia-perpetrated
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Group tracking Russian abductions of Ukrainian children prepares to shut down following Trump admin funding cut
The preeminent body tracking alleged Russian war crimes in the war with Ukraine, including the abduction of Ukrainian children, has transferred its data to Ukraine's government and the US State Department as it prepares to shut down in the coming weeks after the Trump administration terminated its funding. 'Right now, we are running on fumes, we have about two weeks of money left, mostly through individual donations from our website. As of July 1, we lay off all of our staff across Ukraine and other teams and our work tracking the kids officially ends. We are waiting for our Dunkirk moment, for someone to come rescue us so that we can go attempt to help rescue the kids,' Nathaniel Raymond, the Executive Director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health, told CNN. The Ukraine Conflict Observatory, an effort led by Yale's Humanitarian Research Lab, has collected more than three years of data following Russia's invasion of Ukraine with the backing of State Department funding. The effort was launched in May 2022 'to capture, analyze, and make widely available evidence of Russia-perpetrated war crimes and other atrocities in Ukraine.' The database currently includes the information and identities of over 30,000 Ukrainian children who were allegedly abducted by Russia across 100 locations, explained a source familiar with the data. The initiative's closure will leave a major blind spot because no other body has so closely tracked the abduction of Ukrainian children. The lab's work has supported six International Criminal Court indictments against Russia, including two related to the abduction of children, Raymond said. Earlier this year, the effort's funding was cut off as part of Department of Government Efficiency cuts, which resulted in researchers at Yale losing access to the database. But the funding was reinstated for a short time by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to ensure that the data was transferred to the European Union's law enforcement agency, Europol, so that it could be used as evidence in future war crimes cases. The transfer to Europol is expected to happen within hours or days now that the data and evidence of the alleged war crimes – including attacks on energy infrastructure, filtration sites, and attacks on civilian infrastructure – has been finalized for the time being by researchers at Yale and shared with the State Department, the source said. CNN has asked the State Department for comment. The scramble to keep the program alive has unleashed new efforts by a wide variety of individuals who are looking for private funding that could keep the effort alive. Members of Congress defended the observatory's work and its necessity earlier this year and they are planning to urge the administration not to cut the funding once again, congressional aides said. Congressional offices have learned that the State Department notified Congress late last year of their intent to disperse about $8 million in funding for the program, congressional aides said. They are trying to find out if that money has been reprogrammed or could still be allocated to the effort, they added. Meanwhile, Ukraine and Russia began prisoner swaps this week, with Ukrainian soldiers who have spent nearly the entire duration of the war in captivity among those returning home. But efforts to secure an end to the war appear out of reach for the time being. And without future data from the initiative – which is sourced from satellite imagery and biometric data – efforts to secure the release of Ukrainian children captured in the future could be severely hampered. 'This data is absolutely crucial to Ukraine's efforts to return their children home,' House lawmakers wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in March. CNN's Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.
CNN
19-03-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Researchers have lost access to evidence of alleged Russian war crimes following Trump admin funding cut
Summary Researchers lost access to evidence of alleged Russian war crimes after the Trump administration cut funding for the Ukraine Conflict Observatory. The database contained information on the locations of more than 30,000 abducted Ukrainian children and other potential war crimes committed by Russia. Evidence collected by the Ukraine Conflict Observatory had been used in efforts to prosecute Russian officials, including the International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin. House lawmakers expressed concern that vital data might have been deleted, though State Department officials deny this claim. Researchers have lost access to a major database of evidence on alleged Russian war crimes, including the locations of more than 30,000 abducted Ukrainian children, and funding for their work has been terminated, according to a letter from House lawmakers and a source familiar with the matter. The Trump administration terminated financial support for the Ukraine Conflict Observatory, a State Department initiative launched in May 2022 'to capture, analyze, and make widely available evidence of Russia-perpetrated war crimes and other atrocities in Ukraine.' The funding was initially suspended as part of a sweeping foreign aid freeze in late January. 'The funding has been cut based on the assessments that we've been making regarding what was defining work within our framework of what was in America's interests,' State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Wednesday. The evidence collected by the Ukraine Conflict Observatory had been used in efforts to prosecute Russian officials for their alleged involvement in war crimes, including the International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to a source familiar, when the funding was initially frozen, the database was turned off and researchers at Yale University lost access. The researchers have also lost access to all critical resources, like satellite imaging, needed to collect evidence of war crimes. The database included information not only on the abduction of the Ukrainian children, but on other Russian war crimes as well: attacks on energy infrastructure, attacks on civilian infrastructure, and destruction of cultural sites, the source said. The database was specifically structured to pull together relevant elements for prosecution of war crimes, the source said. It is unclear who has access to the database, what will happen to the critical evidence it holds, and whether it will be able to be shared with the entities like the European Union law enforcement agency Europol. According to the letter from House lawmakers, Yale's Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) – which had been conducting research for the Ukraine Conflict Observatory – 'compiled three reports, sourced from satellite imagery and biometric data, tracking identities and locations of over 30,000 children from Ukraine at dozens of locations.' 'This data is absolutely crucial to Ukraine's efforts to return their children home,' the lawmakers said in the letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Wednesday. The importance of returning 'the forcibly transferred Ukrainian children' was a key topic in the meeting between top US and Ukrainian officials in Jeddah earlier this month, according to a joint statement after the meeting. In a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Wednesday, President Donald Trump asked 'about the children who had gone missing from Ukraine during the war, including the ones that had been abducted,' according to a statement about the call. 'President Trump promised to work closely with both parties to help make sure those children were returned home.' Wednesday's letter, led by Ohio Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman, noted that the evidence was being preserved 'to be shared with Europol and the government of Ukraine to secure their return.' 'Yale HRL's funding has been terminated and the status of the secure evidence repository is unknown. This vital resource cannot be lost,' it said. The lawmakers said they have 'reason to believe that the data from the repository has been permanently deleted.' 'If true, this would have devastating consequences,' wrote the 17 lawmakers, including Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska. Bruce and another State Department spokesperson said the data had not been deleted. 'The State Department does not hold the data for the Conflict Observatory. The data resides on a platform owned by MITRE as part of the program,' the unnamed spokesperson said, referring questions to the non-profit organization MITRE. 'To the best of MITRE's knowledge and belief, the research data that was compiled has not been deleted and is currently maintained by a former partner on this contract. Department of State has been made aware of data disposition,' MITRE told CNN.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Researchers have lost access to evidence of alleged Russian war crimes following Trump admin funding cut
Researchers have lost access to a major database of evidence on alleged Russian war crimes, including the locations of more than 30,000 abducted Ukrainian children, and funding for their work has been terminated, according to a letter from House lawmakers and a source familiar with the matter. The Trump administration terminated financial support for the Ukraine Conflict Observatory, a State Department initiative launched in May 2022 'to capture, analyze, and make widely available evidence of Russia-perpetrated war crimes and other atrocities in Ukraine.' The funding was initially suspended as part of a sweeping foreign aid freeze in late January. 'The funding has been cut based on the assessments that we've been making regarding what was defining work within our framework of what was in America's interests,' State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Wednesday. The evidence collected by the Ukraine Conflict Observatory had been used in efforts to prosecute Russian officials for their alleged involvement in war crimes, including the International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to a source familiar, when the funding was initially frozen, the database was turned off and researchers at Yale University lost access. The researchers have also lost access to all critical resources, like satellite imaging, needed to collect evidence of war crimes. The database included information not only on the abduction of the Ukrainian children, but on other Russian war crimes as well: attacks on energy infrastructure, attacks on civilian infrastructure, and destruction of cultural sites, the source said. The database was specifically structured to pull together relevant elements for prosecution of war crimes, the source said. It is unclear who has access to the database, what will happen to the critical evidence it holds, and whether it will be able to be shared with the entities like the European Union law enforcement agency Europol. According to the letter from House lawmakers, Yale's Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) – which had been conducting research for the Ukraine Conflict Observatory – 'compiled three reports, sourced from satellite imagery and biometric data, tracking identities and locations of over 30,000 children from Ukraine at dozens of locations.' 'This data is absolutely crucial to Ukraine's efforts to return their children home,' the lawmakers said in the letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Wednesday. The importance of returning 'the forcibly transferred Ukrainian children' was a key topic in the meeting between top US and Ukrainian officials in Jeddah earlier this month, according to a joint statement after the meeting. In a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Wednesday, President Donald Trump asked 'about the children who had gone missing from Ukraine during the war, including the ones that had been abducted,' according to a statement about the call. 'President Trump promised to work closely with both parties to help make sure those children were returned home.' Wednesday's letter, led by Ohio Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman, noted that the evidence was being preserved 'to be shared with Europol and the government of Ukraine to secure their return.' 'Yale HRL's funding has been terminated and the status of the secure evidence repository is unknown. This vital resource cannot be lost,' it said. The lawmakers said they have 'reason to believe that the data from the repository has been permanently deleted.' 'If true, this would have devastating consequences,' wrote the 17 lawmakers, including Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska. Bruce and another State Department spokesperson said the data had not been deleted. 'The State Department does not hold the data for the Conflict Observatory. The data resides on a platform owned by MITRE as part of the program,' the unnamed spokesperson said, referring questions to the non-profit organization MITRE. 'To the best of MITRE's knowledge and belief, the research data that was compiled has not been deleted and is currently maintained by a former partner on this contract. Department of State has been made aware of data disposition,' MITRE told CNN.
CNN
19-03-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Researchers have lost access to evidence of alleged Russian war crimes following Trump admin funding cut
Summary Researchers lost access to evidence of alleged Russian war crimes after the Trump administration cut funding for the Ukraine Conflict Observatory. The database contained information on the locations of more than 30,000 abducted Ukrainian children and other potential war crimes committed by Russia. Evidence collected by the Ukraine Conflict Observatory had been used in efforts to prosecute Russian officials, including the International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin. House lawmakers expressed concern that vital data might have been deleted, though State Department officials deny this claim. Researchers have lost access to a major database of evidence on alleged Russian war crimes, including the locations of more than 30,000 abducted Ukrainian children, and funding for their work has been terminated, according to a letter from House lawmakers and a source familiar with the matter. The Trump administration terminated financial support for the Ukraine Conflict Observatory, a State Department initiative launched in May 2022 'to capture, analyze, and make widely available evidence of Russia-perpetrated war crimes and other atrocities in Ukraine.' The funding was initially suspended as part of a sweeping foreign aid freeze in late January. 'The funding has been cut based on the assessments that we've been making regarding what was defining work within our framework of what was in America's interests,' State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Wednesday. The evidence collected by the Ukraine Conflict Observatory had been used in efforts to prosecute Russian officials for their alleged involvement in war crimes, including the International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to a source familiar, when the funding was initially frozen, the database was turned off and researchers at Yale University lost access. The researchers have also lost access to all critical resources, like satellite imaging, needed to collect evidence of war crimes. The database included information not only on the abduction of the Ukrainian children, but on other Russian war crimes as well: attacks on energy infrastructure, attacks on civilian infrastructure, and destruction of cultural sites, the source said. The database was specifically structured to pull together relevant elements for prosecution of war crimes, the source said. It is unclear who has access to the database, what will happen to the critical evidence it holds, and whether it will be able to be shared with the entities like the European Union law enforcement agency Europol. According to the letter from House lawmakers, Yale's Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) – which had been conducting research for the Ukraine Conflict Observatory – 'compiled three reports, sourced from satellite imagery and biometric data, tracking identities and locations of over 30,000 children from Ukraine at dozens of locations.' 'This data is absolutely crucial to Ukraine's efforts to return their children home,' the lawmakers said in the letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Wednesday. The importance of returning 'the forcibly transferred Ukrainian children' was a key topic in the meeting between top US and Ukrainian officials in Jeddah earlier this month, according to a joint statement after the meeting. In a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Wednesday, President Donald Trump asked 'about the children who had gone missing from Ukraine during the war, including the ones that had been abducted,' according to a statement about the call. 'President Trump promised to work closely with both parties to help make sure those children were returned home.' Wednesday's letter, led by Ohio Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman, noted that the evidence was being preserved 'to be shared with Europol and the government of Ukraine to secure their return.' 'Yale HRL's funding has been terminated and the status of the secure evidence repository is unknown. This vital resource cannot be lost,' it said. The lawmakers said they have 'reason to believe that the data from the repository has been permanently deleted.' 'If true, this would have devastating consequences,' wrote the 17 lawmakers, including Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska. Bruce and another State Department spokesperson said the data had not been deleted. 'The State Department does not hold the data for the Conflict Observatory. The data resides on a platform owned by MITRE as part of the program,' the unnamed spokesperson said, referring questions to the non-profit organization MITRE. 'To the best of MITRE's knowledge and belief, the research data that was compiled has not been deleted and is currently maintained by a former partner on this contract. Department of State has been made aware of data disposition,' MITRE told CNN.
