The theft of 11,000 masterpieces: The SSU has charged Malhin, a Crimean collaborator, with the robbery of the Kherson Museum

The theft of 11,000 masterpieces: The SSU has charged Malhin, a Crimean collaborator, with the robbery of the Kherson Museum

SSU and OPG have in absentia served notice of suspicion to the collaborator who coordinated the looting by occupiers of the Kherson Museum of almost 11 thousand exhibits.

The Security Service of Ukraine has collected a solid evidence base against collaborator Andriy Malhin – the self-proclaimed director of the Central Museum of Tavrida in temporarily occupied Crimea.

According to the investigation, on November 1–2, 2022, the suspect organized the illegal removal of museum exhibits from the then-captured Kherson Regional Art Museum named after O.O. Shovkunenko.

The looting of this cultural institution occurred at the moment of the Rashists’ retreat from Kherson during the successful counteroffensive of the Ukrainian Defence Forces.

According to the materials of the criminal case, under Malhin’s command, occupiers and their accomplices used freight transport to steal and remove 10,785 valuable museum artifacts from the port city.

The stolen property was first transported to the left bank of the Kherson region, and later – to the occupied territory of Crimea.

The investigation showed that Malhin has supported Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine and the occupation of Crimea since 2014. Already then, managing the Central Museum of Tavrida, he actively lobbied and facilitated the «re-registration» of the Ukrainian institution under Russian «legislation».

With the start of the full-scale invasion, this criminal joined the Rashists in robbing cultural institutions on Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories.

Based on the collected evidence, SSU investigators have in absentia notified the suspect of suspicion under Part 2 of Art. 28, Part 1 of Art. 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (war crimes committed as a result of a prior conspiracy by a group of persons).

At present, the issue of declaring the suspect wanted internationally is being considered.

Operational and investigative measures continue to identify and bring his accomplices to justice.

The investigation is being conducted under the procedural supervision of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.