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Veniamin Trubachov

War correspondent

Veniamin is a Ukrainian journalist and war correspondent. Having reported from conflict zones in Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Libya and elsewhere, since 2014 he has been focused on Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Stories by the Author

A selfie taken by Alexander Butyagin earlier this year at an ancient site in Ukraine's Crimea.

A selfie taken by Alexander Butyagin earlier this year at an ancient site in Ukraine's Crimea.

Russian Archaeologist Wanted for Crimea Excavations

Scholar’s extradition from Poland would mark the first case of its kind.

15 Apr 26

Workers repair recent missile and drone attacks' damages at a thermal power plant on February 09, 2026 in Central Ukraine. The location of the power plant has been withheld due to security concerns.

Workers repair recent missile and drone attacks' damages at a thermal power plant on February 09, 2026 in Central Ukraine. The location of the power plant has been withheld due to security concerns. © Diego Fedele/Getty Images

Ukraine: A War Against Civilians

Ukrainian investigators and international lawyers are demanding new arrest warrants over Russia’s relentless attacks on Ukraine’s power infrastructure.

25 Mar 26

The trial of the Russian servicemen Konstantin Smirnov and Denis Podgorny began in July 2024 and the verdict was announced by a three-judge panel of the Chernihiv District Court on February 3, 2025. © Oksana Matsopa/IWPR

The trial of the Russian servicemen Konstantin Smirnov and Denis Podgorny began in July 2024 and the verdict was announced by a three-judge panel of the Chernihiv District Court on February 3, 2025. © Oksana Matsopa/IWPR

The Evolving Role of OSINT

New tools, data analysis methods and inter-agency collaboration are boosting use of open sources in war crimes justice processes.

20 Mar 26

Remains of burnt cars as smoke billows after overnight airstrikes on oil depots on March 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.

Remains of burnt cars as smoke billows after overnight airstrikes on oil depots on March 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. © Majid Saeedi/Getty Images

Iran War Impacts Ukraine

Kyiv fears diminished military support and increasing international distraction - but hopes to leverage its hard-won experience of drone warfare.

17 Mar 26

Ukrainian demining team with the Department of State Emergency Service of Ukraine works on the scene after a large scale Russian attack on a residential complex on March 7th that killed 11 people and injured 47 on March 10, 2025 in Dobropillia, Ukraine.

Ukrainian demining team with the Department of State Emergency Service of Ukraine works on the scene after a large scale Russian attack on a residential complex on March 7th that killed 11 people and injured 47 on March 10, 2025 in Dobropillia, Ukraine. © Paula Bronstein / Getty Images

Ukraine Seeks Justice for Deadly Mines

Efforts continue to document incidents - in which hundreds have been killed and injured - to collect evidence for future war crimes trials.

6 Feb 26

Ukrainian soldiers look towards Russian positions near Bakhmut, Ukraine.

Ukrainian soldiers look towards Russian positions near Bakhmut, Ukraine. © John Moore/Getty Images

Conscription in Occupied Lands: Russia’s War Crime

Ukrainian law enforcement agencies are documenting and securing convictions against organisers of the illegal draft.

20 Jan 26

Ukrainian families of prisoners of war POW wait to see if their loved ones will be amongst the arrivals on May 24, 2025 in Chernihiv, Ukraine.

Ukrainian families of prisoners of war POW wait to see if their loved ones will be amongst the arrivals on May 24, 2025 in Chernihiv, Ukraine. © Paula Bronstein / Getty Images

Investigating POW Executions

Law enforcement agencies argue that such crimes are systemic and that not only direct perpetrators but also their commanders must be held to account.

13 Jan 26

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