Ukrainian Intelligence Lists Over 100 Cultural Artifacts Looted by Russia in Crimea
Ukraine’s military intelligence has revealed that Russia has looted at least 110 cultural artifacts from occupied Crimea since 2014 as part of a systematic campaign to erase Ukrainian history and identity on the peninsula, The Gaze reports.
According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense (HUR), the stolen items were uncovered during illegal archaeological excavations conducted by Russian authorities between 2014 and 2025.
These included sites of major historical significance such as the ancient settlement of Artezianske, the Genoese fortress of Chembalo, and the southern suburbs of Chersonesus Taurica.
HUR also reported that cultural objects were taken from the site of the Kadikivske hillfort, an ancient Roman military camp in Sevastopol. Occupation authorities now plan to build a shopping mall there.
Other artifacts were smuggled out of the Chersonesus Taurica National Preserve under the pretense of a temporary exhibition at a museum in Yekaterinburg, Russia.
The intelligence report, published under the “Stolen Heritage” section of Ukraine’s War & Sanctions portal, includes evidence of theft and illegal excavations by Russian occupiers throughout Crimea.
“These are not isolated incidents. Russia is methodically looting Ukrainian heritage and using culture as a tool of occupation and propaganda,” Ukrainian officials warn.
The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine underscored: “Every war crime committed against the Ukrainian people will be met with just retribution.”
Read more: Ukrainian Art & Culture at Risk: Frontline Evacuations and Preservation Efforts