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This is Izum, a city on Ukraine's eastern front line. When it was recaptured from Russia in September 2022, mass graves were found here. Investigators are still piecing together what happened, and their work is about to get much harder. We're here with truth hounds who are interviewing witnesses of suspected war crimes that took place here during the Russian occupation. just shows how dangerous their work is. Here's explosions in the distance. They have to travel with first aid kits with them, strapped to their jackets, um while they try to gather uh evidence and testimony of the atrocities that took place here.
Roxalana Mar is an investigator with Truth Hounds, a Ukrainian nonprofit that began gathering war crimes evidence in 2014. later trained judges and prosecutors. Since December, it has had to lay off staff, suspend projects, and cancel training. Why? The Trump administration has terminated tens of millions of dollars of funding for war crimes accountability efforts in Ukraine. Instead, it's focused on the president's America first agenda. there's like less hope I think for the um the accountability in terms of international one. In January, Reuters joined investigators to see how they support those providing
testimony for war crimes cases and how the cuts will impact their work. The road to Isum is icy and potholed and the signs of the war are around. We passed um a power station that had been hit by a Russian missile, leaving the local population without power and often without heating in sub-zero temperatures. Reuters spoke to more than 40 people from law enforcement officials to researchers and human rights advocates all pursuing justice for alleged war crimes in the country and almost without exception they said their work has been curtailed. Of course it's upsetting because as our yesterday's witness said that like you know it seems like the US is doing everything to be comfortable for Putin
right now. A senior Ukrainian source told Reuters, "The Trump administration cuts have impacted roughly half of US funded projects to promote accountability and rule of law in Ukraine. It's not just about the money. They took with them technical, legal, and intelligence support. Ukraine's prosecutor general's office says it has recorded more than 230,000 alleged war crimes since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. From the killing of civilians to destroying hospitals to abducting children, Russia denies it's carried out such atrocities and it calls the accusations western propaganda. But Ukraine says the number of cases continues to grow each day. In Bha, for example, 30 km north of Kev, more than
450 bodies were exumed from mass graves. Tana Papovich still comes here to honor their memories. name is on the monument. Next to it, one word, captivity. She says her son, a civilian, was shot, beaten, and detained during the occupation and thinks he's being held at a pre-trial detention facility in Russia. Russian authorities did not answer questions about his case. Ukrainian authorities say investigating so many cases at once is expensive. Things like DNA analysis and digital forensics and keeping cases alive during years of conflict is challenging. around us, military vehicles with equipment to
try to track uh drone activity in the area. And just a few streets away from here, netting over the streets to protect buildings and civilians from possible drone attacks. And amid this, the Truth Hounds investigators are trying to do their work. And the people we spoke to said the potential consequences of this defunding stretch far beyond the front lines to the thousands of Ukrainian children forcibly moved or deported to Russia and the families still looking for them. We everyday searching kids and bringing them home. It's a huge costs and not only this but provide their rehabilitation and reintegration in our programs. Save Ukraine says it's returned more than a thousand children from Russia and the occupied territories
since the full-scale invasion. Russia says it relocated them for their safety. through USA card. We lost some money for these programs and now we are building our relation with the new government, new administration just to find the support to find any opportunities which give us sustainability here to scale our program to rescue more kids. The US State Department says the administration is shifting the war's financial burden to Europe and other willing partners, but it says the US still provides substantial assistance to Ukraine, including programs for war crimes, justice, and accountability. In March, the State Department said it will provide up to $25 million to support the return and rehabilitation of missing
Ukrainian children, a cause championed by First Lady Melania Trump. Other donors like the European Union and Britain say they are committed to ensuring justice is delivered for Ukraine. But human rights defenders say the lost US aid won't be easily replaced. Without US funding, their work will become increasingly difficult. And those seeking justice and accountability for those crimes may never see that happen.
