President Donald Trump’s administration has ended a U.S.-funded initiative documenting alleged Russian war crimes, including a database detailing the mass deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, The Washington Post reported.

The move has raised concerns among observers who fear it may compromise evidence of war crimes and hinder efforts to rescue thousands of missing Ukrainian children.

The program, led by Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab, was terminated last month as part of broader budget cuts implemented by the Department of Government Efficiency. Researchers lost access to crucial information, including satellite imagery and biometric data tracking up to 35,000 Ukrainian children.

“We have reason to believe that the data from the repository has been permanently deleted,” warned a group of lawmakers led by Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “If true, this would have devastating consequences.”

The termination of the program has barred the transmission of evidence to prosecutors pursuing multiple criminal cases, including the International Criminal Court’s indictment of Russian President Vladimir Putin for the “unlawful transfer” of children from occupied areas of Ukraine.

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The move comes as Trump seeks to improve relations with Moscow and end the war in Ukraine. Critics argue that the decision compromises efforts to hold Russia accountable for alleged war crimes and complicates negotiations for the return of missing Ukrainian children.

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“The Trump administration, through either its incompetence or its intent, has now cast doubt on the validity of three years and $26 million of taxpayer-funded war crimes evidence,” said a researcher on the project who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The State Department has not provided a public explanation for its actions. During a listening session with employees, Peter Marocco, the official in charge of foreign assistance, cited the $13 million spent on the Yale-led initiative as an example of “waste.”

As the administration pursues diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, including recent talks with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia, concerns persist about the long-term implications of terminating the Conflict Observatory program and its impact on accountability for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

Read more at The Washington Post