Russia looted over 1.7 million Ukrainian valuables from occupied territories: it is trading them on black market - Tochytskyi
Russian invaders have looted more than 1.7 million pieces of Ukrainian cultural heritage from the occupied territories. Now, the occupiers are selling Ukrainian artifacts on the black market.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by the Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications Mykola Tochytskyi in an interview with Ukrinform.
"In the occupied territories, one million seven hundred thousand units of our cultural heritage were stolen: from archaeological finds to museum collections, which the Russian Federation appropriated, violating all possible norms of international law. And if in ancient times, when the Russians stole our name and our history, they took the exhibits to the Hermitage or Moscow museums, now they are successfully selling them on the black market," Tochytskyi emphasized.
According to the minister, thanks to colleagues from different countries, these stolen artifacts are being returned. He said that during his trips abroad, he often received these items.
According to Tochytsky, Russian officials were involved in the theft of the valuable artifacts.
" For the first time, in February, Ukraine imposed sanctions against cultural, museum, and other figures in Russia. We are talking about 55 individuals and three legal entities, in respect of which we have clearly proved their involvement in the theft, destruction and destruction of the Ukrainian cultural heritage," the minister emphasized.
