Pursuit of justice in alleged war crimes

Across Ukraine, even as Russian tanks roll and rockets fly, teams are investigating thousands of suspected war crimes. 

Hi, it's Julius here with an update on Ukraine. 

Ukrainian and international investigators, prosecutors, police, security services and forensic and ballistics experts take part, often researching dozens of deaths each day. 

More than 1,000 Ukrainian prosecutors have spread out across the country to collect evidence of war crimes. This includes fragments of missiles, rockets and artillery shells, DNA samples from human remains, as well as victim and witness testimony.

In some cases, sophisticated laser scanners are used to build up a digital picture of crimes scenes. Eventually, cellphone data or radio intercepts may be located. 

The goal is to investigate and document alleged crimes committed by Russia's military. For now, the work is focused on everyday violence against Ukrainian civilians, as opposed to the higher-stakes effort to build a case against Russia's president, Vladimir Putin. 

Paste BN journalists spent weeks accompanying investigators to the scenes of suspected war crimes, sometimes arriving just after attacks, even before the victims' bodies had been removed. For more on the efforts to prosecute suspected war criminals, read our investigation.

• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a fiery speech on Ukraine's Independence Day on Wednesday: "A new nation appeared in the world on Feb. 24 at 4 in the morning. It was not born, but reborn."
• At least 25 people were killed in a Russian rocket strike at a railroad station in Chaplyne on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said.
• The U.S. will provide nearly $3 billion in new military aid to Ukraine, the Pentagon announced. The package includes surface-to-air missile systems, artillery ammunition and drones.