Intel identifies Russian archaeologists behind illegal excavations in TOT
According to Ukrinform, the Main Intelligence Directorate announced this on Facebook.
The “Stolen Heritage” section of the War&Sanctions portal has published information regarding 20 stolen Ukrainian cultural artifacts, two museums in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, as well as seven individuals involved in illegal archaeological work, the distortion of history, and the justification of the occupation of Ukrainian territories.
Among them are Eduard Kravchenko and Vitalii Voitenko—research associates at the so-called “Donetsk Republican Local History Museum.”
They participated in illegal archaeological excavations in the temporarily occupied territory of the Donetsk region in the Azov Sea and Donetsk Ridge areas.
Kravchenko directly led such expeditions, while Voitenko, among other things, is a participant in the armed aggression against Ukraine as part of the Russian Armed Forces.
Also included is Konstantin Mogilevskyi, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation—co-chair of the Russian Historical Society led by Sergey Naryshkin, which disseminates distorted historical narratives to justify the war and the occupation of Ukrainian territories.
In addition, data has been released on 20 cultural artifacts stolen from archaeological sites on the temporarily occupied Crimean Peninsula (including the Kyz-Aul necropolis and the “Gospitalny” burial mound), as well as from the Novokakhovka City Art Gallery and the “Kamiana Mohyla” Nature Reserve.
As reported by Ukrinform, Polish security services detained Alexander Butiagin, a well-known Russian archaeologist and Hermitage employee, in Warsaw in early December 2025. Ukraine had issued an international arrest warrant for him for conducting illegal excavations in Crimea.
He was passing through Poland while traveling from the Netherlands to the Balkans. In Europe, the Russian scholar had been giving a series of lectures on archaeology.
The Ukrainian Prosecutor’s Office issued a warrant for his arrest in November of this year for leading illegal archaeological expeditions in Crimea since 2014. In particular, his group conducted illegal excavations in the ancient city of Myrmekion on the shores of the Kerch Strait in Crimea without the necessary permits from Ukrainian authorities. According to Ukrainian investigators, these actions resulted in the partial destruction of cultural heritage sites, with damages estimated at UAH 200 millio. The Russian faces up to 10 years in prison for this crime.
The District Court in Warsaw ruled that Butiagin’s extradition to Ukraine is legally permissible.
Photo: www.trthaber.com, illustrative
