Russia protests to Poland over detention of renowned archaeologist

Russia has formally lodged a protest with Poland following the detention in Warsaw of Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

On January 12, Polish Ambassador to Russia Krzysztof Krajewski was summoned to the Foreign Ministry, where he was presented with a strong diplomatic demarche over Butyagin’s arrest in December 2025 at the request of Kyiv, Caliber.Az reports.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the charges brought against Butyagin by what it described as the “Kyiv regime” are “absurd” and stem solely from his academic work within the framework of the Myrmekion Archaeological Expedition in Crimea. The ministry emphasized that Ukraine’s request through Interpol was not enforced and noted that the scholar had previously traveled freely to several European countries prior to his detention.

Russian officials also underscored that Butyagin, a senior researcher at the State Hermitage Museum and a globally recognized archaeologist, has been conducting fieldwork on the Kerch Peninsula for decades. All archaeological activities, they said, were carried out with the requisite permits, including authorizations issued by Ukrainian authorities before 2014. Artifacts uncovered during the excavations were transferred to the East Crimean Historical and Cultural Preserve, contributing to the preservation of the region’s cultural heritage.

The Russian Foreign Ministry reiterated its demand for Butyagin’s immediate release and called on Poland to reject any extradition to Ukrainian authorities, which Moscow argues cannot be considered impartial or capable of ensuring fair justice.

Poland detained a Russian archaeologist whom Ukraine accuses of unauthorised excavation and plundering historical artefacts in Crimea.

Ukraine, which has moved some museum pieces abroad for their safety, accuses Russia of taking precious historical items from Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014, and from other parts of the country following Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022.

By Vafa Guliyeva