Russian soldiers have illegally exported 164 archaeological artefacts found during excavations of the ancient cities of Nymphaeum and Pantikapaion from occupied Crimea.

Source: Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU)

Details:Defence Intelligence of Ukraine has released data on 14 Russian museums that are engaged in propaganda in the temporarily occupied territories and helping steal Ukrainian cultural property.

DIU reports that since 2022, Russian museums have been organising exhibitions, lectures and educational programmes aimed at legitimising the occupation. In this way, they are trying to integrate Ukrainian museums into the Russian cultural space.

Among those involved, DIU identified Irina Zhukova, the director of the All-Russian Historical and Ethnographic Museum, who in 2024 organised an event in temporarily occupied Luhansk Oblast to establish "unity through the ages" to promote "Donbas's historical connection with Russia".

Alexandr Shkolik, the director of the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, also organises the spread of Russian propaganda. In 2023, his museum hosted training for museums in occupied Donetsk on how to promote Russian history among museum visitors.

Sergei Narishkin, Director of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service who heads the History of the Fatherland Foundation and the Russian Historical Society, which has seven branches in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, also helped steal the heritage.

The War&Sanctions website has already collected data on 996 stolen objects and 260 people involved in the looting of Ukrainian cultural heritage, distortion of history and preservation of Ukrainian identity.

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