UKRAINE, Apr 11 — Russians stole more than 1,7 million archaeological findings and museum exhibits from occupied territories of Ukraine and sold them on the black market, said the Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications, Mykola Tochytskyi, in an interview for Ukrinform.

Russia is systematically destroying Ukraine’s cultural heritage, violating international laws. In Kharkiv alone, Russian attacks damaged over 100 historic buildings, including the constructivist building of Derzhprom.

Tochytskyi explained that Russia used to steal artifacts for the Hermitage and Moscow museums, and now Russians are selling the stolen items on the black market. Governments of other countries handed over stolen artifacts to Ukraine several times.

In February, Ukraine, for the first time, imposed sanctions against Russian figures working in the spheres of culture, museums, and others. Sanctions covered 55 people and three organizations that acted directly to steal, damage, or destroy Ukrainian cultural treasures and support the false narrative of Russia’s supposedly historic right to own occupied territory and its treasures.

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