US shuts down project probing Russia’s alleged ‘kidnapping’ of Ukrainian children – media

The US government has terminated funding for a Yale University project investigating alleged Russian abductions of Ukrainian children, several media outlets reported this week, citing sources.

Ukrainian and Western officials have repeatedly accused Moscow of “kidnapping” Ukrainian minors. International Criminal Court arrest warrants are issued for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova over alleged “unlawful deportations.” Russia, however, has dismissed the claims as politically motivated, explaining that it evacuates children from the conflict zone to protect them.

According to iPaper and The New Republic, the now terminated contract funded the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL), which was tasked with identifying and tracking Ukrainian minors allegedly taken to Russia. The project reportedly…