(WARSAW) – A Polish court has authorised the extradition to Ukraine of a Russian archaeologist, Alexander Butyagin, who is accused of conducting illegal excavations in occupied Crimea. Butyagin, an employee of the Russian State Hermitage Museum, was apprehended in December 2025 at a Warsaw hotel during a European lecture tour. Ukrainian law enforcement authorities allege that the archaeologist participated in the removal of historical artefacts from the peninsula without the consent of the sovereign Ukrainian government.
The legal position held by Kyiv is rooted in international law, which dictates that an occupying power possesses no rights to cultural property within occupied territories. Ukrainian officials maintain that these activities constitute the theft of cultural heritage rather than legitimate scientific research. Conversely, Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, has demanded the immediate return of Butyagin, dismissing the legal proceedings as politically motivated and lacking a valid basis.
The Kremlin has historically claimed that Crimea is an integral part of the Russian Federation, a stance rejected by the international community, with the exception of Belarus, North Korea, and several Moscow aligned regimes. Since the illegal annexation of Crimea, Russian institutions have used archaeology as a tool to assert control over the territory, attempting to establish historical justifications for their presence through the discovery of antiquities.
Simultaneously, within Russia, a significant military recruitment campaign is targeting students at over 200 universities and colleges. These events, often presented as career guidance or employer presentations, frequently reveal the Ministry of Defence as the sole prospective employer. Students are encouraged to sign military contracts for newly formed unmanned systems units, with promises of high salaries sometimes exceeding 6,000,000 Russian Roubles ($60,000).
Recruiters lure young people with the prospect of serving as drone operators far from the front lines, suggesting that a one year service period would allow for a swift return to studies. However, under the current decree on partial mobilisation maintained by the Russian dictator, such contracts are subject to automatic extension. Furthermore, should a recruit fail the selection process for drone operations, they risk being transferred to infantry units.
Reports indicate that university administrators may pressure students with academic difficulties, suggesting that such issues can be resolved in exchange for military service. Despite efforts by the Kremlin to frame the conflict as a remote and high technology engagement, the reality remains one of high risk, as the Russian regime seeks new sources of personnel amidst a heavy frontline losses.
The Kremlin’s latest university events look less like career guidance and more like a strange live perfomance. Across the country, students are being invited to what appear to be ordinary meetings, lectures, or employer presentations. But once they arrive, the only employer in the room turns out to be the Ministry of Defense. In the latest episode of Break the Fake, Jonasz Rewiński takes a closer look at Russia’s student recruitment campaign for the military’s unmanned units, the strange atmosphere of these events, and why some of them feel more like a surreal live show than a career opportunity. Is it innovation… or mobilization in disguise? Watch to find out.
