Statement from ISRP on Reports Russia is Destroying and Pillaging Historical Sites in Ukraine

WASHINGTON, October 12 – According to recent reports, Russia’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine, now in its eighth month, is being accompanied by the destruction and pillaging of historical sites and Ukrainian cultural treasures on an industrial scale.

This allegedly includes Russian soldiers helping themselves to artifacts in almost 40 Ukrainian museums. The looting and destruction of cultural sites has caused losses estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars, Ukraine’s culture minister Oleksandr Tkachenko has said.

The Initiative for the Study of Russian Piracy (ISRP) condemns this abhorrent behavior.

ISRP has been investigating and exposing the illicit Russian theft of other Ukrainian assets including grain and steel.

Amb. James K. Glassman, Chief Spokesperson for ISRP, said the following:

“Russia’s most recent thefts from Ukraine, and the clear attempts to erase Ukrainian culture and identity, are intolerable crimes. The perpetrators should know: they will be stopped and there will be consequences for their actions.

“While the U.S. and other governments are working hard to hold bad actors accountable and help bring the Russian invasion to an end, the war continues and war crimes like piracy persist. It’s clear we must do more.

“The ISRP is actively investigating individuals and companies involved in transporting stolen Ukrainian grain, steel and other assets. This piracy aids the Russian war effort and prolongs the bloody conflict. Russian theft continues while Ukrainians and the world pay a heavy price. We urge the U.S. government to take swift action to hold these individuals and entities accountable and expose their behavior to the world.”