GRC participated in a coordinated effort led by Europol, together with international partners, to track down 45 forcibly transferred Ukrainian children.
40 investigators from 18 countries and several partners met in The Hague for coordinated open-source investigation effort
On 16 and 17 April 2026, Europol together with the Netherlands hosted a coordinated effort to identify and trace children forcibly transferred or deported to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. In total, information about 45 children was uncovered and shared with Ukrainian authorities to assist their ongoing investigations.
This initiative saw 40 experts from 18 countries, the International Criminal Court as well as non-governmental partners working together in The Hague. The participating open-source intelligence experts compiled 45 reports which include valuable information potentially leading to the locations of deported children, such as:
- Transportation routes that were taken during forced relocations;
- Persons who enabled the deportation, such as directors of children’s orphanages;
- Military units assisting in the deportations;
- Individuals that received deported children;
- Camps or facilities children were brought to;
- Platforms showcasing photos of possibly deported children;
- Russian military units in which deported children may now be fighting as part of Russia’s war of aggression towards Ukraine.
Europol hosted the event, which was co-organised with the Netherlands, at its premises, bringing together open-source intelligence experts with on-site coordination and technical support. The event was the third of its kind and the second focused specifically on finding Ukrainian children who had forcibly been transferred or deported from their habitual residence, an offence that may constitute a war crime under several key international legal frameworks.
Digital and open-source investigative techniques
The multinational initiative is aimed at assisting ongoing investigations by the Ukrainian authorities, who have documented the forced transfer or deportation of what is estimated to be more than 19 500 children from occupied territories to the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus. Some of these children have been adopted by Russian nationals, while others are being held in re-education camps or psychiatric hospitals.
Drawing on their expertise in open-source intelligence gathering and analysis, the participating experts used their specialised skills and advanced digital and open-source methodologies to identify and trace the children. In addition, they collected information on individuals potentially involved in organising or facilitating their transfer or deportation. The results of this so-called ‘OSINT hackathon’ will be further analysed and were today shared with the Ukrainian authorities in support of their investigative efforts.
Terminology: OSINT hackathon
A ‘hackathon’ is generally understood as a gathering lasting several days, during which participants seek solutions to a specific digital challenge. The term blends ‘hack’ and ‘marathon’, with ‘hack’ being used in the positive sense of the word – the search for vulnerabilities in a system to improve them. The concept originates from the world of information and communications technology, with the aim of improving and developing software through collaboration. At Europol, the term is used more broadly: bringing together researchers to solve a problem using digital means.
OSINT stands for open-source intelligence, which is the collection and analysis of data gathered from open, publicly available sources. It aims to produce actionable intelligence and as such is a commonly used tool by law enforcement agencies. During this hackathon, investigators relied on various digital tools in their searches allowing them to trace the whereabouts of the children.
Participating countries:
Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Netherlands (co-organiser), Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States
Participating agencies and private parties:
International Criminal Court – Office of the Prosecutor, Mnemonic, Global Rights Compliance, Osint for Ukraine, Truth Hounds