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Trump Administration Ends Program Tracking Ukrainian Children Abducted by Russia

The defunding of Yale's Humanitarian Research Lab has disrupted efforts to locate abducted children and prosecute Russian officials for war crimes.

This November 2022 photo shows the playground of the Kherson Children's house, an orphanage where Russian forces allegedly took 46 children from.
Members of the non-profit Avaaz and Ukrainian refugees placed thousands of kids' teddy bears and toys at Schuman Roundabout in front of the European Commission in Brussels a vigil for the abduction of thousands of Ukrainian children by Russia on February 23, 2022.
The seal of the United States Department of State is seen in Washington, U.S., January 26, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo
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Overview

  • The Yale Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL), funded by the U.S. government, was tracking the abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia but lost funding under the Trump administration in January 2025.
  • The program's termination has resulted in the loss of access to critical data, including satellite imagery and biometric information, and allegations have surfaced that evidence may have been permanently deleted.
  • The HRL's work was instrumental in supporting ICC indictments against Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova for war crimes involving the unlawful transfer of children from Ukraine to Russia.
  • Bipartisan lawmakers have criticized the funding cut, urging the Trump administration to restore the program and impose sanctions on Russian and Belarusian officials involved in the abductions.
  • President Trump has pledged to address the issue of abducted Ukrainian children in discussions with Russian and Ukrainian leaders, though no concrete actions have been taken to date.