Александр Бутягин на беларусско-польской границе. Скриншот видео
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has reacted to the extradition of Russian archaeologist Aleksandr Butyagin from Poland to Russia. The statement indicates that Ukraine was not aware of Poland’s decision.
“Ukraine has learned with regret that, contrary to the previous entirely justified decision of a Polish court, a Russian citizen who is reasonably suspected of committing a crime on the territory of Ukraine — in particular, the removal of cultural valuables from Crimea — was nevertheless not extradited to Ukraine,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The Ukrainian side believes that Russia is using this episode to “justify the occupation of Crimea and the exploitation of temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory by Russian citizens.”
“Ukraine consistently insists on bringing to real legal accountability all Russian entities working for the occupation and the war. In relation to this Butyagin case and other similar situations, Ukraine will continue to apply the relevant legal mechanisms and will also work in the jurisdictions of partner countries,” the statement said.
Russian archaeologist Butyagin was detained in Poland at Ukraine’s request in December 2025. He had been conducting excavations in Crimea. After Russia’s occupation of the peninsula in 2014, he continued the excavations without the permission of the Ukrainian authorities. Ukraine accuses him of illegal excavations and the theft of historical artifacts. Ukraine had sought his extradition from Poland. On March 18, the Warsaw District Court ruled that Butyagin’s extradition to Ukraine was lawful. On April 28, Poland handed him over to Russia as part of a “5-for-5” exchange, during which journalist Andrzej Poczobut was also released.