Since the onset of the full-scale invasion by Russia, Ukrainian authorities have demonstrated a resolute commitment and capability to handle war crimes cases domestically, even while the conflict is ongoing. However, despite substantial support from the international community to central judicial authorities and the assistance provided by the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA), some gaps remain, especially for investigators and prosecutors from regions directly affected by the conflict.
Through this project, Truth Hounds and TRIAL International aim to enhance accountability for international crimes committed in the context of Russia’s full-scale aggression in Ukraine. The project is articulated around two main objectives: 1) reinforcing the fight against impunity, by leveraging extraterritorial jurisdiction tools to create a web of accountability against individual and private actors, most responsible for patterns of atrocities committed against civilians in Ukraine ; 2) strengthening national actors’ capacities to build bigger cases, moving away from an individual approach to case-building to a patterns-based methodology, using Truth Hounds’ iDOC database and other OSINT and analytical tools, as well as advocacy work. This overall project is increasing domestic authorities’ efficiency in their global fight against impunity. It also offers alternatives to justice for survivors and help them get better integrated them in the accountability process.

TRIAL International and Truth Hounds first aim to improve effectiveness of the fight against impunity for core international crimes committed in Ukraine through strategic litigation at the extraterritorial or international level.
Through this work, the partners aim at creating a web of accountability across jurisdictions, by leveraging universal jurisdiction and filing cases against alleged perpetrators in key national jurisdictions. Access to justice for victims and witnesses is reinforced via these legal proceedings with requests for damages and protection measures at each step of the accountability process.
This project also aims at increasing accountability for private military and security actors (PMSAs) and other linked economic actors fueling the conflict in Ukraine.
Additionally, the partners aim at enhancing capacities of Ukrainian domestic prosecution to address the growing number of criminal proceedings of international crimes under their authority. Through the strengthening of capacities of the central- and regional-level prosecutors, the partners aim at informing the Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General’s (OPG), including the OPG’s war crimes department and its different offices, and regional war crimes departments, in their case-building and overall accountability strategy. Strategic advocacy activities also aim at increasing awareness for the global fight against impunity, by leveraging the use of universal jurisdiction worldwide.

Output 1.1: Strengthened access to justice for victims of core international crimes committed in Ukraine by leveraging universal jurisdiction and filing cases against alleged perpetrators in key national jurisdiction.

Output 1.2: Increased accountability for private military and security actors (PMSAs) and other linked economic actors fueling the conflict in Ukraine.

Output 2.1: Improved capacity of Ukrainian actors to effectively investigate and prosecute international crimes domestically while increasing access to justice for survivors in Ukraine.
Output 2.2: Enhanced advocacy and awareness through actions supporting the fight against impunity for core international crimes.

By the 31rst of December 2025, the partners expect to have achieved the following results:

Output 1.1: 5 trial-ready cases by end of the project; 3 regional pattern-based matrices developed by end of 2025; 3 cases submitted by the end of 2025; 12 survivors/witnesses supported by the end of 2025.

Output 1.2: 6 mid to high-level perpetrators by the end of 2025; 2 in-depth investigations by the end of 2025 + 4 profiles of perpetrators - whether individuals or legal entities involving PMSAs and other linked economic actors by the end of 2025; 2 strategic legal actions filed by the end of 2025 + 4 survivors/ witnesses supported by the end of 2025.

Output 2.1: 80% of practitioners report increase knowledge by the end of 2025; 50 survivors are given procedural status by the end of 2025; 3 cases are built with the authorities based on the i-DOC database by the end of 2025; 75 documented incidents from the i- DOC database are shared with the authorities by the end of 2025; 50 survivors receive holistic support by the end of 2025.

Output 2.2: 1 advocacy campaign is run by the end of 2025; 1 legal action is undertaken in Ukraine by the end of 2025; 6 events participated in by the end of the project; 16 duty bearers are briefed by the end of the project.