Efforts to track and rescue tens of thousands of Ukrainian children allegedly abducted to Russia have been thrown into turmoil following the US State Department’s deletion of key evidence.
The Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale University, which had been compiling a database of alleged Russian war crimes, including the forced deportation of up to 35,000 Ukrainian children, has been forced to halt its work after the Trump administration cut its funding last month.
Critical Evidence Wiped
The Yale team had been monitoring 116 sites across Russia where Ukrainian children were believed to be held, using satellite imagery and other surveillance tools provided through the US government.
A source familiar with the project said the US State Department deleted the crime database, which was intended to support both rescue missions and legal proceedings against those responsible, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“It is unclear whether it was by accident or intent, but it may reveal, or cause, potential criminal liability for the Trump administration, given international prohibitions against the destruction of war crimes evidence,” the source said.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has already indicted Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights, for their role in the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children. The loss of data, experts warn, could hinder further legal action.
Obstructing Justice and Rescue Efforts
Beyond legal implications, the deletion of the database has also disrupted ongoing efforts to locate and return Ukrainian children. The research team had been working with Save Ukraine, a charity that has successfully repatriated 610 children so far, and the Ukrainian government.
“The worst part of this is not that it screws up prosecution, that’s bad,” the source added. “The worst part is that it screws up our active efforts to try to get the kids back across the front line, physically.”
The decision has also severed data-sharing efforts with the European Union, which is conducting its own investigation through EUROPOL.
Trump’s Position on Ukraine
The controversy comes as Donald Trump held talks with Putin on Tuesday over the future of Ukraine. Since his inauguration, he has taken a notably pro-Russian stance, repeatedly criticising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom he has labelled a “dictator.”
Zelensky has made the return of abducted Ukrainian children a key condition in ceasefire negotiations with Russia, the US, and other international allies.
Erasing Ukraine’s Identity
Russia has forcibly annexed four Ukrainian regions, issued Russian passports to residents, and conscripted young men to fight against their own country. In occupied areas, Moscow has removed the Ukrainian language from schools and systematically transferred children deep into Russian territory.
This forced assimilation has drawn comparisons to the Holodomor, Stalin’s orchestrated famine in the 1930s that killed over three million Ukrainians.
The Yale database, codenamed “Caesar”, held details of alleged war crimes committed by Russia, with the university having already contributed to six ICC indictments. The loss of this data, experts warn, may be one of the most significant setbacks in holding Moscow accountable.
