The Foreign Ministry criticized Poland's decision to release archaeologist Butyagin
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded to Poland’s decision to hand over Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin as part of an exchange with Russia and Belarus.
This was stated by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Georgiy Tykhyi.
The ministry noted that Ukraine “regretted” the fact that Butyagin, who is suspected of crimes committed on Ukrainian territory, was not extradited, despite a previous ruling by a Polish court.
According to Tykhyi, this specifically concerns suspicions of the removal of cultural property from occupied Crimea.
The Foreign Ministry believes that the Russian side may use this situation to justify the occupation of the peninsula and the activities of its citizens in the temporarily occupied territories.
The spokesperson emphasized that Ukraine will continue to insist on holding all those involved in crimes against the state accountable and will apply appropriate legal mechanisms both in Ukraine and in the jurisdictions of its partners.
Poland exchanged Russian archaeologist Butyagin, who was awaiting extradition to Ukraine, for a journalist.
As a reminder, a court in Warsaw approved the extradition of Russian archaeologist Butyagin to Ukraine.
