Russian archaeologist Alexander Potyagin was released as part of a prisoner exchange that took place on the Belarusian-Polish border, TASS reported, citing the FSB.
The special service said that Potyagin and the wife of a Russian soldier “serving in the peacekeeping unit in Transnistria” were exchanged for two officers from the Moldovan special service.
The FSB noted that the return of the archaeologist, who was facing extradition to Ukraine, is the result of a multi-stage operation carried out jointly with the KGB of Belarus.
Since 1999, Alexander Potyagin heads the work of the Myrmeky Archaeological Expedition, which explores the ancient Myrmeky settlement on the territory of modern Kerch. Ukrainian authorities describe Potyagin’s participation in excavations after 2014, that is, since Russia’s annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, as illegal.
The archaeologist is suspected of partially destroying a cultural heritage site and causing damage amounting to more than 201.6 million hryvnia ($4.8 million).
At the beginning of December 2025, Alexander Potyagin was arrested in Warsaw at the request of Ukraine, where he had been wanted since 2024. The Russian scientist was lecturing in Europe and was in Poland while passing through the Netherlands. Since then he has been detained in a pre-trial detention center in Warsaw.
In March, a Polish court approved Ukraine’s request to extradite the Russian archaeologist.
Turn the KGB I mentionedThe exchange took place at the Pererov-Belovija checkpoint. The ministry said that five people convicted in Belarus and Russia on espionage charges were transferred to the Polish side. They were exchanged for five citizens of Belarus, Russia and “other CIS countries” held in various EU and other countries.
Among those extradited to Poland is a Belarusian political prisoner and a journalist. He was received at the border by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
father Data Belta, among those sent to Belarus were citizens of the country who “carried out particularly important tasks in the interest of ensuring national security and the country’s defense capability.”
Negotiations on the exchange began in October 2025 on behalf of Alexander Lukashenko, Pelta wrote. In total, intelligence services from seven countries participated in the negotiations, including Poland and Belarus.