- Category
- Latest news
Ukraine Sanctions Russian Entities Over Stolen Cultural Artifacts and Illegal Resource Exploitation
- Authors
![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed two decrees introducing sanctions against individuals and entities involved in the illegal extraction of natural resources and the appropriation of cultural assets from temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.
The measures are detailed in Presidential Decrees No. 579/2025 and No. 580/2025 and were confirmed by Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the President’s Commissioner for Sanctions Policy on August 4.
Among those sanctioned is Yulia Kupina, Director of the Russian Ethnographic Museum, who played a key role in opening the exhibition “Multinational Russia” in the occupied city of Berdyansk. The exhibition featured items taken from Ukrainian museum collections, marking a direct attempt to appropriate and recontextualize Ukraine’s cultural heritage under the Russian narrative.
Also included in the sanctions list are Artem Silkin and Halyna Alekseyeva, both of whom are currently seeking leadership positions within the International Council of Museums.
-0d47c274f3ab65f7c71893047d4b936e.jpg)
“Thanks to the activities of these individuals, Ukrainian museum artifacts are being integrated into Russia’s national catalog. As of March 2025, 39 Ukrainian museums from territories occupied after February 2022 are already listed in the public section of the Russian registry. In August 2024, that number was only six,” Vlasiuk stated.
The sanctions aim to stop Russia’s systematic attempt to erase Ukrainian identity through the appropriation and rebranding of cultural property. Ukrainian officials say the integration of looted museum items into Russian catalogs is part of a broader campaign to legitimize occupation and suppress Ukrainian heritage.
In parallel, Decree No. 579/2025 introduces restrictions on 62 individuals and legal entities tied to the illegal exploitation of Ukrainian natural resources and infrastructure in the occupied territories. This includes Russia’s so-called “shadow grain fleet” and companies profiting from seized Ukrainian assets.
Entities such as Dniprovske Iron Ore Plant LLC, Yekaterinivsky Quarry LLC, and Nika Trade Invest LLC are accused of operating on expropriated Ukrainian sites and directing revenue and resources toward Russia’s state and defense sectors.
The list also includes companies and individuals involved in exporting Ukrainian grain abroad, including the captains of vessels documented transporting grain from Crimea to Yemen.
Earlier, it was reported that for the first time in history, a Ukrainian cultural artifact is on display at the Tower of London—one of the world’s most iconic heritage landmarks. The sabre of Hetman Ivan Mazepa, a prominent Ukrainian leader of the 17th century, is now exhibited in the White Tower as part of a special showcase.
