WASHINGTON, May 17 (KUNA) -- The US Department of State announced Tuesday the launch of "a new Conflict Observatory to capture, analyze and make widely available evidence of Russia-perpetrated war crimes and other atrocities in Ukraine".
The Department of State said in a statement that the program "encompasses the documentation, verification and dissemination of open-source evidence regarding the actions of Russia's forces during President (Vladimir) Putin's brutal war of choice".
The Department of State indicated that the Conflict Observatory will "analyze and preserve publicly and commercially available information, including satellite imagery and information shared via social media, consistent with international legal standards, for use in ongoing and future accountability mechanisms".
"This includes maintaining rigorous chain-of-custody procedures for future civil and criminal legal processes under appropriate jurisdictions," the statement noted.
The statement added, "an online platform will publicly share the Conflict Observatory's documentation to help refute Russia's disinformation efforts and shine a light on abuses".
The statement affirmed, "this new Conflict Observatory program is part of a range of US government efforts at both national and international levels designed to ensure future accountability for Russia's horrific actions".
"The Conflict Observatory is a further demonstration of the United States' steadfast support for the people of Ukraine as they valiantly defend their country and their freedom in response to President Putin's premeditated, unjustified and unprovoked war," the Department of State stressed. (end) si