Ukrainian artifacts stolen by Russia appearing on black markets, Kyiv says
Some historical artifacts stolen by Russia in Ukraine have emerged on global black markets, Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin said in an interview with the Voice of America on Oct. 4.
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been accompanied by large-scale looting of cultural heritage in the occupied territories, with hundreds of artifacts recorded to be stolen.
"In addition to the systematic destruction of our cultural heritage, Russia resorts to another crime: stealing valuable cultural objects," Kostin said.
"These artifacts, stolen from our museums and archeological sites, are now appearing on black markets. We already have enough evidence to launch new criminal proceedings."
Kostin said that Ukraine cooperated with the U.S. Justice Department and the FBI to collect the evidence.
The Prosecutor General's Office has launched a new unit focused on investigating both the destruction of cultural heritage in war and any attempts at illegally selling the artifacts abroad.
Ukraine's Culture Ministry said that almost 2,100 cultural establishments have been damaged or destroyed since the outbreak of the full-scale war as of Oct. 4, including 120 museums and galleries.
Earlier this year, Kyiv managed to retrieve a set of Crimean artifacts known as the "Scythian gold" after a decade of legal struggle with Russian occupation authorities in the peninsula.
Kateryna Denisova
