Ukraine: Investigating War Crimes
New, dedicated police units across the country respond to the unprecedented challenges of the conflict.
Also see
Ukraine: Searching for the Dead
Mobile war crimes investigation teams are collecting evidence across the country to bring perpetrators to justice.
Ukraine: Investigating War Crimes
New, dedicated police units across the country respond to the unprecedented challenges of the conflict.
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, the Ukrainian National Police did not have a war crimes department and lacked the specific expertise to investigate such offences.
Over the last year, it has developed the skills, with training and technical support from international partners, to create ad-hoc investigation units across the country.
In Kharkiv, the department was established in December 2022 and comprises 21 investigators. As of March 2023, they are investigating over 4,000 cases, including shelling, murder and torture.
