US EditionPoland Detains Russian Museum Official on Ukrainian Warrant for Illegal Crimea Excavations
Alexander Butyagin faces 40 days detention in Poland as Ukraine seeks extradition over alleged unauthorized digs damaging Crimean cultural heritage.
- On December 11, Polish authorities detained Alexander Butyagin, head of ancient archaeology at the State Hermitage Museum , while he transited through Poland, RMF FM reported.
- In November 2024, Kyiv charged Butyagin with illegal excavation at Myrmekion in Kerch, annexed Crimea, alleging more than $4.75 million in damage and unlawful exploitation of occupied territory.
- Polish media reported Butyagin was transiting between the Netherlands and a Balkan country when detained, and his lawyer plans to appeal while he faces up to 10 years if extradited to Ukraine.
- The Kremlin condemned the arrest as legal arbitrariness and Dmitry Peskov called it legal abuse, vowing Russian diplomats would seek his release while urging Russian citizens to avoid travel to Poland.
- Ukraine's Defense Intelligence published the HUR report detailing more than 170 artifacts stolen from occupied territories, while Kyiv says Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 involves unlawful exploitation under international law.
36 Articles
36 Articles
The Warsaw court will remain in prison for the suspicion of destroying part of Myrmekion in Crimea. Kremlin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, accused the countries of "purity of legal tyrania".
Russia is warning Poland of the consequences of the arrest of a Russian archaeologist. Alexander Butyagin was arrested in Warsaw on Friday at the request of Ukraine. Ukraine accuses him of conducting illegal excavations at a former Greek settlement in Crimea. Crimea is part of Ukraine but was annexed by Russia in 2014 after Russian troops seized power. "We hope that Poland will understand the absurdity of accusing a respected Russian archaeologi…
Poland detains Russian archaeologist accused of damaging cultural sites in occupied Crimea
Polish authorities have detained Alexander Butyagin, a Russian archaeologist accused of causing extensive damage to historical sites in occupied Crimea, at the request of Ukraine's prosecutor general, Polish media reported Dec. 11.
"Poland has not changed its shoes" — for which a simple Russian archaeologist was arrested: EADaily
EADaily, December 11th, 2025. Poland is turning around after Hungary and Slovakia is moving away from the dogmas about European solidarity, which determine the support of Ukraine, towards national egoism, and not towards Russia. This was stated by political scientist Alexander Nosovich…
Poland detains Russian archaeologist accused by Ukraine of stealing artefacts
WARSAW, Dec 11 - Poland has detained a Russian archaeologist whom Ukraine accuses of unauthorised excavation and plundering historical artefacts in Crimea, Polish authorities said on Thursday, prompting outrage from Moscow which demanded his immediate release. Read more at straitstimes.com.
The Polish special services arrested an official of the Russian Hermitage Museum who carried out "archeological excavations between 2014 and 2019 in areas of Ukraine currently occupied by Russia".
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