AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The Dutch government is likely to send a forensic team from the national military police to Ukraine to help investigate possible war crimes, Dutch press agency ANP reported on Thursday.
The team would leave for Ukraine at short notice to help the International Criminal Court (ICC) gather evidence at sites where war crimes may have been committed, ANP cited sources close to the matter.
The government will make a final decision on the mission on Friday, the sources said.
The Dutch foreign ministry declined to comment on the report.
The ICC has already started an investigation into possible war crimes in Ukraine following the invasion by Russian forces on Feb. 24.
Earlier this week, the court said it would also participate in a joint investigative team set up by Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine for the exchange of information and investigation into suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a “special operation” to disarm Ukraine and protect it from fascists. Ukraine and the West say this is a false pretext for an unprovoked war of aggression by President Vladimir Putin.
Russia has denied accusations that its forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine.
(This story removes garbled line in paragraph 5)
(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Gareth Jones)
