MOSCOW, August 19. /TASS/. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has formally charged Russian archaeologists Mark Kramarovsky and Emil Seidaliev in absentia with "violating the laws and customs of war" for their excavation activities in Crimea, according to documents obtained by TASS.

The scientists are accused of conducting unauthorized archaeological digs in the Solkhat area - the medieval name of Stary Krym (Old Crimea) in the eastern part of the peninsula. They have also been summoned to appear at the Investigative Department of the SBU Main Directorate in Kiev.

Ukrainian authorities consistently monitor the activities of Russian archaeologists in Novorossiya and Crimea, frequently accusing them of illegal operations. In 2024, Ukrainian law enforcement initiated a criminal case against Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin, alleging "illegal excavations" near Kerch. In Ukraine, his work in Crimea is viewed as the destruction and appropriation of archaeological heritage sites.

In April 2025, Kiev issued an international arrest warrant for Butyagin. In December, he was detained by Polish authorities while traveling from the Netherlands to the Balkans during a European lecture tour. Ukraine requested his extradition, but in April 2026, he was released as part of a prisoner exchange at the Belarusian-Polish border. His return was facilitated through a complex operational effort coordinated with Belarusian intelligence agencies.