**US Stops Funding for Russian War Crime Research**
The US government has stopped funding a project that tracked Russian war crimes in Ukraine. The Washington Post reported this on March 18.
The research team, led by Yale University‘s Humanitarian Research Lab, collected data to find out about Russia’s forced deportation of Ukrainian children. They used satellite images and biometric data. But the team lost access to their database last month after the government cut off funding. This means that investigators may not be able to use this evidence in war crime cases.
**Concerns Over Lost Data**
Some US lawmakers are worried that the research lab’s database may have been deleted forever. This could make it harder for them to find children who were taken by Russia and punish those responsible. A group of US representatives wrote a letter to the Secretary of State, saying that losing this data would have serious consequences.
**Database Transfer Blocked**
The research team was transferring their database to Europol, an international law enforcement agency. This would help with investigations in other countries. But the government cut off funding, which blocked this process.
**Important Evidence for Investigations**
This research has been important evidence in many reports about Russia’s actions in Ukraine. It also helped get six International Criminal Court (ICC) indictments, including one against Russian President Vladimir Putin and a top official who oversees child welfare. They were accused of taking Ukrainian children without permission and trying to erase their national identity.
**Ukraine’s Efforts to Bring Back Children**
The Ukrainian government has managed to bring back 1,240 children so far. But they need more help from the international community to find all the children taken by Russia.
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