Russia Looted Ukrainian Archives, Taking Over 5 Million Items – HUR

Since 2014, over five million documents belonging to Ukraine’s National Archival Fund (NAF) have fallen under Russian control following the occupation of parts of Ukraine, including Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson regions.

According to Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) and the State Archival Service, a significant portion of these documents was illegally removed and integrated into Russia’s archival infrastructure.

In newly released findings published on the War & Sanctions platform, HUR and the State Archival Service accuse Russia of violating international humanitarian law, particularly the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. After Kherson’s liberation, investigators confirmed that nearly 360,000 archival items had been looted by occupying forces.

Kherson, a strategic city in southern Ukraine, was occupied by Russian forces in March 2022 during the early stages of the full-scale invasion. It was liberated by Ukrainian troops in November 2022, marking a major turning point in the counteroffensive.

Ukraine has now published the names of individuals and organizations allegedly involved in the illegal transfer and assimilation of stolen archives. Among those named are:

• Andrey Artizov, head of Russia’s Federal Archival Agency
• Oleg Lobov, head of the so-called “State Archival Service of the Republic of Crimea”
• Irina Krasnonos, director of the so-called “Sevastopol City Archive”
• Vitaly Semyonov, founder of the NGO “Archival Watch”
• Employees of the so-called “State Archive of the Republic of Crimea” who participated in the looting of the Kherson regional archives in 2022

Authorities say these actions are part of a broader effort by the Kremlin to erase Ukraine’s identity, distort historical truth, and obscure evidence of Russian war crimes.

Other Topics of Interest

Ukraine Arrests Former Russian-Installed Crimea Energy Minister in Kyiv

Authorities said the man was tracked down in Kyiv after returning briefly to attend unspecified personal matters.

Ukraine’s intelligence services pledge to continue exposing individuals and entities involved in what they call the theft of cultural heritage and the suppression of national memory.