USAID to provide Ukraine with Skydio drones to document Russian war crimes
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced that it will provide nine Skydio drones to the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine to help document Russia's war crimes, according to a press statement on July 27.
The Skydio drones are equipped with 4K cameras that will be used to ensure photographic and video evidence of Russian war crimes is collected.
Read also: USAID launches grant program in Ukraine to foster export alliances
USAID said these drones are "critically important" because they will " help bring justice" to survivors of war crimes and human rights violations committed by the Russian military.
Last week, USAID administrator Samantha Power announced additional support of $250 million for Ukraine while she was visiting Odesa.
Read also: 38 nations back special international tribunal to prosecute Russia for war crimes against Ukraine
Additionally, the New York Times reported that President Joe Biden had secretly ordered the U.S. government to share information about Russia's war crimes in Ukraine with the International Criminal Court at the Hague.
The unprecedented move was ascribed to the decision of Russian officials to deliberately attack civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, as well as the forced deportation of Ukrainian children from the occupied territories.
According to the NYT, the U.S. has already shared some information on war crimes with Ukrainian prosecutors.
On May 15, it was reported that a special Register of Destruction will be created at The Hague to record the damage caused by Russian forces in Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
Read also: International center for investigating Russian aggression against Ukraine opens at The Hague
The Office of the Prosecutor General has stated that 98,100 crimes of aggression and war crimes have already been registered in Ukraine, of which more than 95,000 relate to violations of the laws and customs of war.
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