Poland Handed Over Arrested Archaeologist Alexander Butyagin to Russia

Meduza — LIVE:

A Warsaw court approved the extradition of archaeologist Alexander Butyagin to Ukraine. Warsaw District Court ordered that the Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin be handed over to Ukraine, the TV channel Vot Tak reported. Butyagin’s defense plans to appeal this decision. ——— Alexander…

❗️Poland Handed Over Arrested Archaeologist Alexander Butyagin to Russia

This was reported by Nasha Niva and TASS.

The Russian state agency cites an FSB statement saying that the exchange took place on the Belarusian-Polish border. The security service claims that Butyagin was exchanged for two officers of Moldova’s security services.

In early December 2025, Alexander Butyagin was detained in Warsaw at Ukraine’s request, where he has been wanted since 2024. The Russian scholar was giving lectures in Europe and was in Poland while traveling from the Netherlands. Since 1999, Butyagin has headed the Myrmekion archaeological expedition, which studies the ancient settlement of Myrmekion in what is now Kerch. Ukrainian authorities consider Butyagin’s participation in the excavations after 2014 illegal, that is, from the moment of Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

In March 2026, a court in Warsaw ordered the archaeologist extradited to Ukraine. That decision was appealed.

@meduzalive