Court verdict for attempted export of cultural valuables
On 24 September 2026, the Industrial District Court of Kharkiv concluded the review of criminal case No. 644/798/26. A resident of Kharkiv was found guilty of attempting to illegally move archaeological items and cultural valuables across the state border.
Scheme for concealing artefacts
According to the case materials, in April 2024, the defendant used her personal account on the Ukrposhta platform to process an international shipment to Belgium. The customs declaration described the package contents as "1 set of button decoration forel" (1 set of forel decorative buttons). However, the packet actually contained six ancient button clasps and two circular ornaments, dated to the 19th – early 20th century. These items have ethnographic value.
In July 2024, the woman repeated this scheme, attempting to send a bronze ring dating back to the Kyivan Rus period to France. In the documents, this item was listed as "1 womens jawelry ring" (1 women's jewellery ring).
Detection and seizure
Both postal shipments were stopped by customs officers during an inspection. The identified items were seized by officers of the Security Service of Ukraine.
Deal with the prosecutor and punishment
During the court proceedings, the defendant fully admitted her guilt, expressed remorse, and assisted in uncovering the crime. A plea bargain was concluded between her and the prosecutor.
The woman's actions were qualified under Part 2 of Article 15 and Part 1 of Article 201 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine as a completed attempt to smuggle cultural valuables. The court sentenced her to four years and six months of imprisonment. At the same time, applying Article 75 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the court released the convicted person from serving the sentence with a probation period of two years.
Financial obligations and fate of the artefacts In addition to the main punishment, the convicted person is obliged to pay 16,963.20 UAH to the state for conducting art expertise. The clasps, circular ornaments, and bronze ring from the 11th–13th centuries seized by the court were ordered to be transferred to the state, represented by the Ministry of Culture, for permanent storage.
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