Satellite imagery has identified 210 camps in Russia holding Ukrainian children, with researchers estimating 36,000 have been abducted since the conflict began.
STOCKHOLM: Researchers are using satellite imagery to locate Ukrainian children abducted by Russian authorities.
The Yale University Humanitarian Research Lab has uncovered 210 re-education and military camps across Russia housing some of these children, according to lab director Nathaniel Raymond.
Raymond explained the breakthrough came after Russian officials posted selfies with Ukrainian children on buses.
“They forgot to deactivate the geolocation services on their phones,” he told AFP during a seminar at Sweden’s parliament.
The lab extracted latitude and longitude coordinates from these photos, enabling them to identify devices including Apple watches.
This initial information was shared with Ukrainian authorities and led to further discoveries through analysis of official Russian photos.
The lab estimates approximately 36,000 children have been abducted by Russia since the conflict began.
Raymond initially thought the task seemed impossible given Russia’s security protections.
International Criminal Court arrest warrants issued in 2023 against President Vladimir Putin for unlawful deportation prompted Russian authorities to stop publishing information online.
“They begin to try to clean up the crime scene,” Raymond said, noting children are being moved.
The fate of these children should be a top priority in current conflict negotiations, Raymond stressed.
Funding cuts announced by the Trump administration threaten the lab’s operations beyond this year.
All data has been transferred to Europol to ensure continuity of the investigation.
