HUR Reveals Russian Looting of Museums, Ancient Sites in Occupied Ukraine

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) has published details of nearly 180 cultural artifacts stolen by Russian forces from temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories, including dozens from the Kamiana Mohyla National Historical and Archaeological Museum.

The data was released in a new section titled “Stolen Heritage” on the War&Sanctions portal, operated by the HUR. According to the report, 178 cultural objects were illegally removed or excavated by Russia since the start of its full-scale invasion.

HUR said Russian forces conducted unauthorized archaeological excavations in Crimea, looting more than 140 items from sites including:

• the southern suburb of Chersonesus Taurica,
• the Kadikivske fortress (a Roman military camp), and
• the Byzantine architectural site “Church of John the Baptist.”

In addition, Russian authorities transferred 37 artifacts from the Kamiana Mohyla museum in Zaporizhzhia region to the so-called Tauric Chersonesus Museum under the guise of a temporary exhibition titled “The Spiritual World of Ancestors in the Petroglyphs of Kamiana Mohyla” in 2023.

Part of the published information was gathered through the international War&Sanctions hackathon, which brings together cybersecurity analysts to document and trace war-related crimes, including cultural looting.

“By appropriating Ukrainian culture and history, Russia seeks to erase Ukraine’s national identity and legitimize its aggression and occupation,” the agency said.

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Ukraine Claims Crimea–Donbas Land Corridor Effectively Cut As Logistics Routes Come Under Fire

Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) on Friday said it is disrupting Russian logistics in occupied southern Ukraine by targeting the land corridor linking Crimea with Donbas. Officials claim key routes between Berdyansk, Melitopol, and Dzhankoi are under fire control, with strikes destroying fuel and transport vehicles and worsening Russia’s supply and infrastructure capacity in the occupied territories.

“Documenting these crimes is the first step toward justice and accountability.”