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Funding Cut Halts Efforts to Locate Ukrainian Children Abducted by Russia

The Yale-based team that helped identify and repatriate over 1,200 abducted Ukrainian children lost U.S. government funding under Musk-led budget reductions.

White House Senior Advisor Elon Musk walks to the White House after landing in Marine One on the South Lawn with U.S. President Donald Trump on March 9, 2025 in Washington, DC.
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Ukrainian children sit next to Russia’s presidential commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, before their departure to Ukraine in February last year (Photo: Alexander Nemenov/AFP)

Overview

  • The Yale Humanitarian Research Lab, which tracked and located Ukrainian children forcibly taken to Russia, has had its funding discontinued by the U.S. government.
  • More than 20,000 Ukrainian children have reportedly been abducted by Russia since the 2022 invasion, with many subjected to indoctrination and forced adoption into Russian families.
  • The team’s work, which utilized open-source technology and satellite imagery, has helped repatriate approximately 1,240 children in collaboration with Ukrainian authorities and international organizations.
  • The funding cut is tied to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, which has been criticized for indiscriminate budget slashing impacting critical programs.
  • Advocates and officials warn the decision undermines efforts to address war crimes and risks impeding the safe return of thousands of abducted children to their families.