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Ukraine Charges Crimea Museum “Director” for Orchestrating Russian Looting of Kherson Artifacts
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Office of the Prosecutor General have formally charged the so-called “director” of the Central Museum of Taurida in the temporarily occupied Crimea, Andrii Malhin, for orchestrating the looting of the Kherson Regional Art Museum named after O.O. Shovkunenko.
This was reported by SBU on its official website on April 15.
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According to the investigation, Malhin organized the illegal removal of exhibits from the museum on November 1-2, 2022, during Russia's withdrawal from Kherson as part of Ukraine's counteroffensive. The looting took place as Russian forces retreated from the city.
Under Malhin's leadership, Russian forces and their collaborators stole and transported over 10,000 valuable items from the museum. These items were initially moved to the left bank of the Kherson region and then later transferred to Crimea, as reported by SBU.
It was also established that Malhin had supported Russia’s armed aggression and the occupation of Crimea since 2014. At that time, as the head of the Central Museum of Taurida in Crimea, he initiated and facilitated the “re-registration” of the state institution under Russian law.
According to the statement, following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Malhin participated in further plundering cultural institutions in the temporarily occupied territories.
The Ukrainian authorities are currently considering issuing an international arrest warrant for the suspect. Efforts are ongoing to identify and hold accountable Malhin’s accomplices in this criminal activity.
The removal of cultural artifacts from Ukraine's temporarily occupied territories has raised serious concerns, as Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) recently uncovered further evidence of Russia's systematic theft of invaluable cultural items.
According to a report published in July 2025, a total of 110 stolen artifacts were discovered during archaeological excavations conducted by Russian authorities between 2014 and 2025. These items, excavated from key historical sites like the Artezian Settlement, the Genoese Fortress of Chembalo, and the southern outskirts of Chersonesus Taurica, represent irreplaceable cultural treasures that have now been unlawfully taken.
This broader cultural theft extends beyond Crimea’s borders, with Ukrainian intelligence also uncovering items stolen from the Kadikovske site, a former Roman military camp, where Russian occupation authorities plan to build a shopping mall.
Some of these items were stolen directly from the National Preserve “Chersonesus Taurica.” Russian officials attempted to disguise the removal of these priceless objects as part of a “temporary exhibition” at the Yekaterinburg Museum of History.
Alongside the looting of artifacts, Russian forces have also been engaging in the destruction of Crimea's historical landmarks, with one of the most significant sites being the Khan's Palace in Bakhchisarai.
The Crimean Tatar Resource Center reported that the so-called “restoration” of the palace is, in fact, leading to its destruction. According to the report, the works being carried out violate all established restoration standards and have resulted in structural damage, including deformations that are now being temporarily supported.
“In addition, the occupiers continue illegal archaeological excavations on the palace grounds. According to preliminary reports, dozens, if not hundreds of thousands, of artifacts were discovered during these unauthorized excavations. Meanwhile, these findings are being kept in inadequate conditions, with a significant portion being exported from the peninsula, including abroad, where they are used for exhibition purposes,” the center added.
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