The U.S. State Department has granted short-term funding to a program documenting the abduction of Ukrainian children, after the Trump administration paused it earlier this year.
The initiative, led by Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab, had been tracking thousands of Ukrainian children forcibly taken to Russia. However, it was terminated on January 25 as part of a broader government spending review.
Ukraine reports that over 19,500 children have been abducted and taken to Russia or Russian-occupied territories, calling it a war crime and genocide. Russia, however, claims the children were evacuated voluntarily for their safety.
A State Department spokesperson confirmed the temporary funding, stating it would allow the program to transfer crucial data to the appropriate authorities as part of standard close-out procedures.
