Eurojust: JIT continues work with focus on illegal transfer of Ukrainian children

The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) established at Eurojust to investigate core international crimes committed in Ukraine has had its mandate extended by two years.

The initiative participants plan to focus more closely on the illegal transfer and deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia and Belarus, Ukrinform reports, citing Eurojust.

"Authorities from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine, together with partners Eurojust, Europol and the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC-OTP), will now place additional focus on the illegal transfer of Ukrainian children and their deportation to Russia and Belarus," the statement reads.

The JIT was established in 2022, shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since the start of the JIT, various core international crimes have been investigated, including the crime of genocide and crimes committed at detention sites. Judicial cooperation through the JIT has already proven to be essential for the prosecution of these crimes.

In Ukraine, a trial in absentia is ongoing concerning a Russian combatant. He is suspected of ill-treating civilians, including illegally detaining and beating people in the village of Mylove. Ukrainian authorities worked together with their Polish counterparts to interview one of the witnesses residing in Poland.

In Lithuania, authorities have identified four people suspected of illegally depriving Ukrainian and Lithuanian citizens of their freedom and torturing them at Melitopol airport. In October 2025, one of the suspects, a Russian soldier and prisoner of war in Ukraine, was extradited to Lithuania.

Additionally, Lithuanian authorities notified the suspicion of three for the killing of a Lithuanian film director in Mariupol.

JIT participants emphasize that the four-year collaboration has culminated in a trusted platform for prosecutors and investigators to work together towards a greater goal.

The JIT will deepen its cooperation and put extra focus on investigating the illegal transfer and deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia and Belarus.

Photo: eurojust.europa.eu