War crimes trials: how Ukraine is gathering evidence for international tribunals
Russia’s war against Ukraine has been accompanied by widespread violations of international law. Alongside combat operations, Ukraine is building a system to document these crimes. The effort goes beyond recording facts — it focuses on preparing evidence for court proceedings, Frontliner reports.
Since the start of the full-scale war, Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have opened tens of thousands of criminal cases related to alleged Russian war crimes. The work is coordinated by the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine, together with the police, the Security Service of Ukraine and international partners.
Documentation begins immediately after incidents occur. Investigators arrive at strike sites, record damage, collect fragments of munitions and interview witnesses. Photo and video evidence is gathered, along with data from open sources.
How evidence is collected
War crimes are documented under procedures designed to ensure materials are admissible in court, using international legal standards.
Digital tools play a key role. Data from cameras, satellite imagery, and recordings from phones and drones help reconstruct events. Open-source intelligence methods, or OSINT, are also widely used.
Ukraine is not working alone. International organizations and judicial bodies are involved in the process. In particular, cooperation is ongoing with the International Criminal Court, which investigates the most serious crimes.
Joint investigative teams have also been established with European countries to help collect evidence, share information and prepare cases for future trials.
The main categories of alleged crimes by Russian forces being documented for international tribunals include:
- killings and injuries of civilians;
- torture and unlawful detention;
- deportation and forced displacement;
- destruction of housing and critical infrastructure.
A complex process
Documentation is taking place under wartime conditions. Parts of Ukraine remain occupied, limiting access to crime scenes. Some evidence is lost due to destruction or the passage of time.
Identifying individual perpetrators and commanders is also difficult, particularly when they are outside Ukraine. This requires large volumes of data and international cooperation.
Ukrainian courts have already issued a number of verdicts against Russian war crimes suspects, but most cases remain long-term.
At the same time, Ukraine is promoting the creation of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, with support from the Council of Europe and more than 40 countries. The quality of the evidence collected will be critical in determining whether those responsible are ultimately held accountable.
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Frontliner wishes to acknowledge the financial assistance of the European Union though its Frontline and Investigative Reporting project (FAIR Media Ukraine), implemented by Internews International in partnership with the Media Development Foundation (MDF). Frontliner retains full editorial independence and the information provided here does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union, Internews International or MDF.
