Naryshkin accused Britain of seeking revenge for the Crimean War
Sergey Naryshkin, head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, claimed that Ukraine and the United Kingdom were allegedly behind the attack on the “Defense of Sevastopol” panorama museum in occupied Crimea. According to him, London is thus “taking revenge” for its defeat in the Crimean War more than 170 years ago; however, the Russian side has not provided any evidence to support these accusations.
Speaking at a roundtable discussion on the preservation of cultural heritage, Naryshkin called the attack on the museum a “flagrant incident” and reiterated the version previously put forward by Russian intelligence agencies regarding London’s alleged involvement.
“We know that behind this crime lies not only Kyiv, but also its British curators and owners,” stated the head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service.
He also claimed that the United Kingdom allegedly has not come to terms with the events of the Crimean War, and that the Panorama Museum is a symbol of Sevastopol’s defense during the hostilities of 1855. Naryshkin used these historical parallels to explain his version of the motives behind the attack, but provided no evidence to support these claims.
During his speech, Naryshkin also recalled that the museum had already suffered damage in 1942 during the fighting of World War II, and expressed his conviction that it would be restored.
At the same time, the Russian side announced the continuation of the “Memory Under Fire” project, which documents damage to historical sites in the occupied territories. According to Naryshkin, project participants have surveyed more than 100 monuments in recent months.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, it is Russia that has caused massive destruction to Ukraine’s cultural heritage. According to Ukrainian authorities and international organizations, Russian shelling has damaged or destroyed hundreds of architectural monuments, museums, theaters, libraries, churches, and other cultural sites throughout Ukraine.
Official Kyiv has repeatedly emphasized that Russia is using historical narratives as a tool of information warfare, attempting to justify its own aggression and shift responsibility for the consequences of the war onto Ukraine and its international partners. At the same time, occupied Crimea, including Sevastopol, remains Ukrainian territory under international law.
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