Ukraine to seek accountability for archaeologist Butyagin despite his return to Russia – MFA
Ukraine will pursue legal avenues to bring Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin to justice, despite his return to Russia from Poland as part of an exchange. He is suspected of conducting illegal excavations in temporarily occupied Crimea.
This was stated by Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi in response to journalists’ inquiries, Ukrinform reports.
“Ukraine learned with regret that, contrary to a previous fully justified decision by a Polish court, a Russian citizen reasonably suspected of committing a crime on the territory of Ukraine – in particular, the removal of cultural property from Crimea – was ultimately not extradited to Ukraine,” Tykhyi said.
He suggested that the Russian side would cynically use this political and legal episode to justify the occupation of Crimea and the exploitation of Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territory by Russian citizens.
In this context, the MFA spokesperson stressed that Ukraine consistently insists on holding all Russian actors involved in the occupation and the war legally accountable.
“In this Butyagin case and other similar situations, Ukraine will continue to use appropriate legal mechanisms and will also work within the jurisdictions of partner countries,” Tykhyi assured.
As reported by Ukrinform, citing BBC Russian Service, Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin – who had been detained in Warsaw at Ukraine’s request for extradition – has returned to Russia as part of an exchange.
In March, a district court in Warsaw ruled that the extradition of Butyagin to Ukraine was legally permissible, where he is suspected of carrying out illegal excavations in occupied Crimea.
Polish special services detained the well-known Russian archaeologist, an employee of the Hermitage Museum, in early December 2025 in Warsaw. Ukraine had placed him on an international wanted list over illegal excavations in Crimea. He was in Poland in transit, traveling from the Netherlands to the Balkans, and had been giving a series of lectures on archaeology across Europe.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor’s Office put him on the wanted list in November for leading illegal archaeological expeditions in Crimea since 2014. In particular, his group conducted unauthorized excavations in the ancient city of Myrmekion on the Kerch Strait. According to Ukrainian investigators, these actions partially destroyed cultural heritage sites, causing damage estimated at UAH 200 million. He faces up to 10 years in prison.
A district court in Warsaw had extended Butyagin’s detention until June 1, 2026. A hearing on his extradition to Ukraine had been scheduled for March 18.
On December 23, 2025, Poland received Ukraine’s request for Butyagin’s extradition.