Butyagin was detained in Poland in December 2025 while transiting from the Netherlands to the Balkans, following a Ukrainian request. Kyiv accuses him of conducting illegal archaeological activity in Russian-occupied Crimea after 2014, including the removal of cultural artifacts.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhyi said Ukraine regretted the outcome. "It is obvious that the Russian side will cynically exploit this political and legal situation to justify the occupation of Crimea and to enable Russian citizens to make use of temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory", he said.
Tykhyi added that Ukraine would pursue accountability through legal mechanisms and actions within partner jurisdictions. "Ukraine consistently demands genuine legal accountability for all Russian entities operating in support of the occupation and the war", he said.
Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office said it would continue using all available procedural mechanisms, including in-absentia prosecution, to hold Butyagin accountable for crimes against Ukraine and its cultural heritage.
The office noted that Polish authorities had previously assessed Ukrainian evidence as sufficient to proceed with extradition, but that the final decision on Butyagin was made in the context of international agreements on prisoner exchanges.
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Source: PAP