Curated Theft | An investigation into the largest museum heist in Europe since World War II

Kyiv Independent identifies high-ranking Russian officer, officials involved in looting of museums in southern Ukraine

Fleeing a Ukrainian counteroffensive, Russian forces collectively stole more than 33,000 historical artifacts and works of art. This museum theft is the largest in Europe since World War II.

Russia’s looting of history is a theft of who we are

I first visited the looted museums of Kherson, a city in southern Ukraine, in May 2024. At the time, my team at the Kyiv Independent’s War Crimes Investigations Unit and I were beginning an investigation into the illegal export of artifacts from Kherson to occupied Crimea by Russian forces

Inside a prison where Russia tortured Ukrainian POWs. Investigation by the Kyiv Independent

Among the Russian camps for Ukrainian prisoners of war, the most notorious one is Olenivka, in Russian-occupied Donetsk Oblast. This prison-turned-camp became infamous due to reports of abuse and torture inflicted upon its prisoners. Who runs this prison?

Faces of torture: Investigation into Russians, collaborators who abused Ukrainian POWs