As part of an exchange between Poland and Russia, Poland released Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin. Ukraine suspects him of conducting illegal excavations in temporarily occupied Crimea.
Details
The Guardian reported this. Meanwhile, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski commented on the exchange. He said that, under the deal with Moscow, Warsaw released Alexander Butyagin. At the same time, Ukraine had expected his extradition. Extradition is a form of international cooperation. In such cases, one state transfers a person to another state upon request. This applies to suspects, accused individuals, or convicted criminals for prosecution or serving a sentence.
“One of those we exchanged is a Russian historian who was in the process of extradition to Ukraine,” Sikorski said.
In addition, The Guardian noted that Russian media also reported Butyagin’s release. The FSB issued a statement:
“As a result of the exchange carried out on the Belarusian-Polish section of the border, two citizens of our country were returned home,” the statement said.
However, the Ukrainian side reacted to the failed extradition.
“Ukraine learned with regret that, despite a previous and fully justified decision by a Polish court, a Russian citizen reasonably suspected of committing a crime on the territory of Ukraine – specifically, the removal of cultural property from Crimea – was not extradited to Ukraine,” said Heorhii Tykhyi in a comment to BBC.
He also added that Russia may use this case to justify the occupation of Crimea. According to him, Russian citizens continue to exploit the peninsula’s territory.
Context: the Butyagin case
Alexander Butyagin is a Russian archaeologist detained by Poland’s Internal Security Agency in December 2025. This happened while he was transiting through Poland on his way from the Netherlands to the Balkans.
Butyagin conducted excavations in Crimea and continued after Russia’s annexation without Ukraine’s permission. Therefore, his activities are illegal under both Ukrainian and international law. Ukraine suspects the archaeologist of deliberately partially destroying the “Ancient City of Myrmekion” complex in Kerch, located in temporarily occupied Crimea. This site is an archaeological heritage object. Reportedly, Butyagin caused damage estimated at about 200 million hryvnias.
The Security Service of Ukraine suspects him of destroying the cultural layer. In other words, this refers to soil that preserves traces of an ancient civilization. At the end of 2025, it became known that Ukraine had submitted an official extradition request to Poland. The reason was suspicion that the archaeologist carried out illegal work on the peninsula.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported that Friedrich Merz said Ukraine could lose territories as part of a future peace agreement.
