The Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea continues its systematic work in monitoring the situation on the temporarily occupied peninsula and implementing sanctions as a tool to protect national interests and counter violations of international law.

One of our key areas of activity is sanctions policy, aimed at countering those who violate the rights of Ukrainian citizens and facilitate the unlawful actions of the occupiers. Each of these steps involves meticulous work by numerous state bodies and institutions, and we extend our gratitude to everyone contributing to this critical effort.

In accordance with the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine dated February 4, 2025, “On the Application of Personal Special Economic and Other Restrictive Measures (Sanctions),” enacted by Presidential Decree No. 68/2025, a total of 31 archaeologists have been added to the sanctions list. The Mission, in cooperation with the Regional Center for Human Right NGO, has prepared informational materials and submitted relevant proposals regarding these individuals.

We would like to extend our gratitude to the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine for its consistent and unwavering stance in protecting Ukraine’s cultural heritage, including efforts to strengthen international legal accountability for Russia’s destruction and damage of cultural sites. The issue of imposing sanctions on individuals and legal entities involved in the looting and authorization of illegal archaeological excavations in the occupied territories was actively highlighted at the international conference “Cooperation for Resilience,” which took place on February 1–2, 2025, in Uzhhorod with the support of UNESCO. During the conference, the Declaration on Strengthening the Resilience of Ukraine’s Cultural Sector was announced. This declaration, now open for signature, establishes a multilateral mechanism, including sanctions and pressure on individuals involved in military imperial propaganda, as well as the looting and destruction of Ukraine’s cultural heritage in Crimea.

The sanctions list includes individuals who participated in or facilitated illegal archaeological excavations in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine. Their actions pose a threat to the national interests of Ukrainian society and the state, leading to the expropriation and financial losses in the occupied regions.

Among those sanctioned are:

• Olena Oleksandrivna Morozova – Appointed as the acting director of the Tauric Chersonesos State Museum-Reserve on December 11, 2018, and officially assumed the position of director on April 30, 2019. She is responsible for organizing illegal archaeological excavations on the occupied Crimean Peninsula and providing financial support for numerous archaeological expeditions. She is also accountable for unauthorized construction within the UNESCO heritage site “The Ancient City of Tauric Chersonesos and its Chora” and its buffer zone.
• Vadym Vladyslavovych Maiko – Director of the Federal State Budgetary Institution of Science of the Russian Federation “Institute of Archaeology of Crimea, Russian Academy of Sciences.” Due to his official position, he oversees the development of research areas, scientific projects, and specific topics and their implementation, making him directly responsible for actions that harm Ukrainian cultural heritage. In 2014, he conducted illegal archaeological excavations at the Medieval Sugdeya archaeological site (port area, excavation VII) in the city of Sudak. In 2016, he carried out similar unauthorized excavations at the following heritage sites: “Batalne Western Settlement,” “Batalne Western I Settlement,” “Zolnik No.1 of the 18th-19th Century Dzhurgun Settlement,” “Kurgan Spokiyne 6,” “Kurgan Spokiyne 9,” “Kurgan Spokiyne 10,” “Samokhvalove 1 Settlement,” “Kozanky 1 Kurgan,” “Donske 3 Kurgan,” and the “Christian Monastery on the Slope of Mount Mandzhil-Kaya.”
• Iryna Viktorivna Rukavyshnykova – Conducted illegal archaeological excavations at several archaeological heritage sites, including “Tasunovo-7 Burial Mound Cemetery,” “Burial Mound Group – Two Mounds,” “Ak-Monai I Burial Mound Group,” “Kholodna Hora I Burial Mound,” “Dobroliubivka I Burial Mound,” “Bila Skelia I Burial Mound Cemetery,” “Sary-Su I Burial Mound,” “Hospital Burial Mound,” “Hospital Settlement,” and the “Tsementna Sloboda Burial Mound Group.”

Oleksandr Mykhailovych Butiahin, head of the archaeology sector at the federal institution “State Hermitage Museum” in St. Petersburg, is among the so-called archaeologists included in the sanctions list. Since 2014, he has been leading excavations at the Ukrainian archaeological complex “The Ancient City of Myrmekion” in the Kerch region. Sanctions have been reimposed on this individual.

Strengthening sanctions pressure is an effective tool for countering violations of international norms. It allows for a timely response to current challenges, particularly to events and decisions that harm Ukraine’s national interests and its citizens.

Ukraine consistently emphasizes that the struggle for Crimea continues on all fronts, and sanctions are a crucial tool in the fight against the aggressor and those who enable its actions.

The Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea draws attention to the illegal actions of the occupiers and their collaborators. We call on our international partners to join these sanction initiatives by imposing similar restrictions on individuals involved in the repression of Ukrainian citizens. Restoring justice for Ukraine and our people remains our priority, and we continue to actively work toward this goal.

The full list of sanctioned individuals and organizations is available at the following link: Presidential Decree No. 68/2025.