Poland may try Russian archaeologist for excavations in Crimea

A Russian archaeologist may be tried in Poland for illegal excavations in the occupied territory of Crimea. This is a case that could become the first precedent in Europe for prosecuting the destruction of Ukrainian cultural heritage.

This was reported by the Media Initiative.

At the end of 2025, a Russian archaeologist and employee of the Hermitage Museum, Alexander Butyagin, was detained in Poland, whom Ukraine suspects of illegal archaeological excavations in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea. These are the works in the area of the ancient city of Mirmecium in Kerch, which, according to the investigation, caused damage to Ukraine in excess of UAH 200 million.

The detention took place in early December in a Polish hotel at the request of the Ukrainian side. Butyagin was in Poland in transit, traveling from the Netherlands to the Balkans on an Italian visa. He was put on the wanted list in Ukraine back in 2024.

On December 23, Poland officially received a request for the archaeologist's extradition to Ukraine. The Polish prosecutor's office supported the request and submitted it to the Warsaw District Court. The court must determine whether the transfer of the suspect to Ukraine is legally permissible under the European Convention on Extradition.

This is the first known case of detention in Europe of a Russian citizen on suspicion of illegal excavations in the occupied territory of Crimea. At the same time, Russia reacted sharply to the arrest.

Butyagin is the head of the Hermitage's Northern Black Sea Ancient Archaeology sector and has led an expedition to Myrmecia for many years. The Hermitage stated that he acted with the permission of the Russian authorities and "adhered to international standards." At the same time, the museum refused to fund his legal defense; the money for lawyers is being raised by the archaeologist's colleagues and supporters.

During the first court hearing in Warsaw on January 15, the archaeologist's defense stated that extradition to Ukraine allegedly poses a threat to his life and right to a fair trial. The lawyer also argued that the Ukrainian materials lacked a substantiation of the damage. The court rejected these arguments.

At the same time, Butyagin admitted that after 2014 he conducted excavations without the permission of Ukraine, but denied the destruction of the archaeological site. He stated that he received permits exclusively from the Russian authorities.

The Ukrainian side insists that any permits issued by the Russian Federation are legally null and void. According to Ukrainian and international law, all archaeological sites and artifacts found in the occupied territory are the state property of Ukraine, and their seizure and export to Russia is illegal.

According to the investigation, after the annexation of Crimea, the archaeologist continued his work in Myrmekia, and some of the found artifacts, including gold coins and sculptures, were transferred to Russian museums. In 2025, the Holosiivskyi District Court of Kyiv imposed a pre-trial restraint in the form of detention in absentia.

Experts do not rule out that if Poland refuses extradition, Ukraine may initiate the transfer of criminal proceedings to the Polish side. This would make it possible to bring Butyagin to justice in the EU on the basis of evidence collected by the Ukrainian investigation. The final decision on the extradition of the Russian archaeologist must be made by a Polish court.

A Warsaw court has ruled to keep Russian archaeologist and Hermitage Museum employee Alexander Butyagin in custody until March 4.

Анна Бальчінос