A Warsaw court has approved the extradition of Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin to Ukraine, his lawyer confirmed to the journalists on Wednesday.
The session was held behind closed doors, with the media barred from the announcement. After the hearing, Butyagin told journalists that the decision was expected.
The decision follows Ukraine’s long-standing request. Butyagin’s defense argued against the move, citing concerns for his safety and rights in Ukraine.
His lawyer, Adam Domański, said the ruling does not mean immediate deportation and that an appeal is planned.
Butyagin, who has led the Myrmekion Archaeological Expedition in Crimea since 1999 – the ancient Greek settlement of Myrmekion near modern‑day Kerch – was detained in Poland in December 2025 while traveling from the Netherlands.
Ukraine has sought his arrest since 2024, accusing him of continuing excavations in Crimea after Russia’s 2014 annexation – work Kyiv considers illegal.
Ukrainian authorities allege that Butyagin’s team removed nearly two meters of cultural layers without Ukraine’s authorization, damaging the site and causing losses of about 200 million hryvnias ($4.6 million). If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison.
The Myrmekion site, a major ancient Greek settlement on the Kerch Peninsula, has been a focus of archaeological research for decades.
From his Warsaw detention center, Butyagin told the BBC he continued working in Crimea “because political changes should not interfere with science.” He stressed that his work serves the interests of global research, not any country or political agenda.