Deplorable:
The Trump administration has terminated a U.S.-funded initiative that documents alleged Russian war crimes, including a sensitive database detailing the mass deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, according to U.S. officials familiar with the directive and documents obtained by The Washington Post.
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The move has barred the transmission of evidence to prosecutors pursuing multiple criminal cases, including the International Criminal Court’s landmark indictment of Russian President Vladimir Putin for what it has called the “unlawful transfer” of children from occupied areas of Ukraine, U.S. officials said.
Researchers and experts involved in the initiative, spearheaded by Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab, were informed last month that the State Department had quietly terminated their contract — one of thousands eliminated at the behest of Trump appointee Peter Marocco and the Department of Government Efficiency, the budget slashing arm of tech billionaire Elon Musk.
At that time, the researchers lost access to a trove of information, including satellite imagery and biometric data tracking the identities and locations of as many as 35,000 children from Ukraine.
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Most alarming to U.S. lawmakers briefed on the matter is the suspected deletion of the research lab’s database amid the scramble to comply with the administration’s termination notice — an action likely to set back efforts to find the missing children and hold to account those responsible for their abduction.
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“We have reason to believe that the data from the repository has been permanently deleted,” a group of lawmakers led by Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) warned in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “If true, this would have devastating consequences.”
“This vital resource cannot be lost,” says a copy of the letter, obtained by The Post.
Another fear, lawmakers say, is that if the database were relocated rather than deleted, its contents now may be compromised and the digital forensic evidence inadmissible in court.
A State Department spokesperson confirmed that funding for the initiative had been terminated, but refused to answer whether the data had been deleted or compromised, referring “any questions” to MITRE, the nongovernmental organization that manages the initiative’s database.
When contacted, MITRE also refused to answer questions about the database’s status, referring questions back to the “Dept. of State.”
The Trump administration has terminated a U.S.-funded initiative that documents alleged Russian war crimes, including a sensitive database detailing the mass deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, according to U.S. officials familiar with the directive and documents obtained by The Washington Post.
Sign up for Fact Checker, our weekly review of what's true, false or in-between in politics.
The move has barred the transmission of evidence to prosecutors pursuing multiple criminal cases, including the International Criminal Court’s landmark indictment of Russian President Vladimir Putin for what it has called the “unlawful transfer” of children from occupied areas of Ukraine, U.S. officials said.
Researchers and experts involved in the initiative, spearheaded by Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab, were informed last month that the State Department had quietly terminated their contract — one of thousands eliminated at the behest of Trump appointee Peter Marocco and the Department of Government Efficiency, the budget slashing arm of tech billionaire Elon Musk.
At that time, the researchers lost access to a trove of information, including satellite imagery and biometric data tracking the identities and locations of as many as 35,000 children from Ukraine.
Advertisement
Most alarming to U.S. lawmakers briefed on the matter is the suspected deletion of the research lab’s database amid the scramble to comply with the administration’s termination notice — an action likely to set back efforts to find the missing children and hold to account those responsible for their abduction.
Follow Trump’s first 100 Days
“We have reason to believe that the data from the repository has been permanently deleted,” a group of lawmakers led by Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) warned in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “If true, this would have devastating consequences.”
“This vital resource cannot be lost,” says a copy of the letter, obtained by The Post.
Another fear, lawmakers say, is that if the database were relocated rather than deleted, its contents now may be compromised and the digital forensic evidence inadmissible in court.
A State Department spokesperson confirmed that funding for the initiative had been terminated, but refused to answer whether the data had been deleted or compromised, referring “any questions” to MITRE, the nongovernmental organization that manages the initiative’s database.
When contacted, MITRE also refused to answer questions about the database’s status, referring questions back to the “Dept. of State.”
