Introducing “War Crimes Watch Ukraine”

Dear FRONTLINE community, 

Over the past month, the images and accounts coming out of Ukraine have been devastating — none more so than those of children and maternity hospitals being bombed, of mothers and newborns becoming victims of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

With each day, the attacks continue, as do the calls for accountability.

That’s why today, FRONTLINE is announcing that we have teamed up with The Associated Press to cover the crisis through the launch of War Crimes Watch Ukraine — a major reporting effort to gather, verify and comprehensively catalog evidence of potential war crimes committed since Russia’s invasion began.

War Crimes Watch Ukraine’s digital tracker documents visual evidence of apparent targeted attacks on civilian buildings and infrastructure, and tracks other possible violations of international humanitarian law. The co-published database is interactive and will allow readers to explore incidents by date, city, type of target, and whether civilians or children were killed in an attack. It is a big, ongoing undertaking across our news organizations, examining a wealth of materials and drawing on AP journalists’ firsthand reporting on the ground in Ukraine. You can read more about our reporting methodology and examine some of the incidents that have already been documented.

This new project is part of a larger editorial collaboration with AP examining the war in Ukraine. Over the next few months, the partnership will include more co-published stories that paint the broader picture of Russia’s action in the region, short-form digital videos, and a documentary slated to air on PBS and begin streaming in fall 2022.

Over the years, we have been fortunate to collaborate with AP journalists whose shared editorial values and mission are essential, as the calls for accountability rise around the world.

Brian Carovillano, AP vice president and head of news investigations, enterprise, grants and partnerships said it well, in describing the value of this project: “By tracking and verifying these incidents in real time as they occur, AP and FRONTLINE are creating a historical record that will help ensure crimes don’t get lost in the fog of war.”    

I hope you take time to explore the interactive and follow our ongoing work with the AP on War Crimes Watch Ukraine.