MOSCOW, 30 April (BelTA) – The Russian archaeologist and historian Alexander Butyagin, who was part of the five-for-five swap at the Belarusian-Polish border on 28 April, said that after leaving the Polish territory, he felt safe. The statement was made in an interview with the Russia 24 TV channel, BelTA has learned.
“I knew that everything here is safe, everything is reliable, and everything will be fine,” Alexander Butyagin said. He noted that the swap took place at a border checkpoint in the national park Belovezhskaya Pushcha. First, he was met by representatives of Belarusian special services. After that he was handed over to Russian FSB officers. The scientist thanked everyone who contributed to his release.
Alexander Butyagin also spoke about the conditions of his detention in a Polish pretrial detention center. “The conditions are quite spartan. You cannot leave the cell at all, meals are handed through the door. Showering twice a week for 10 minutes, a walk once a day for an hour, sometimes two. The same routine every day, nothing changes,” he said.
Alexander Butyagin was detained by the Polish side on his way from Netherlands to the Balkans on 4 December 2025 during his European lecture tour. The court ordered the scientist’s extradition to Ukraine where he was accused of illegally conducting archaeological excavations in the territory of Crimea. In Ukraine Alexander Butyagin faced up to 10 years in prison.
The scientist’s return to Russia became possible thanks to a multi-stage operation carried out by the Belarusian KGB in cooperation with the Russian FSB and the special services of several countries. KGB officers acted upon instructions of Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko. The Belarusian head of state personally conducted negotiations with the leaders of the interested countries.
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