The SSU, together with the National Police and the Prosecutor's Office, has collected evidence against a russian citizen who is looting Ukrainian cultural heritage in the temporarily occupied Crimea. According to expert assessments, his ‘archaeological expedition’ on the peninsula caused Ukraine more than UAH 200 mln in losses (USD 4.8 mln).

He is the head of the archaeology sector of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.

In 2014, the official headed an expedition personally visited by putin, which has been illegally excavating Ukrainian cultural heritage sites in Crimea for over a decade.

His group carried out illegal excavations on an area of hundreds of square meters, as a result of which the occupiers removed the cultural layer of the Ukrainian peninsula to a depth of almost 2 meters.

First of all, this includes the territory of the Ukrainian archaeological complex Ancient City of Mirmecium, near Kerch.

According to the examination, the russians damaged the Ukrainian historical site and caused damage worth over UAH 200 million as a result of this illegal activity.

Based on the evidence, the archaeologist has been notified of suspicion in absentia under Article 298.4 of the CCU (illegal search operations at an archaeological heritage site, destruction, destruction or damage to cultural heritage sites, committed with the purpose of searching for movable objects originating from archaeological heritage sites).

The decision to declare the suspect internationally wanted is pending.

The investigation is carried out under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol.