The US returns cultural property stolen by Russia from the occupied territories to Ukraine

The United States of America has returned to Ukraine cultural property stolen by Russia from the temporarily occupied territories.

The Office of the President of Ukraine reported this.

The ceremony was attended by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Oksana Markarova.

In June 2022, the US Customs and Border Protection detained an antique, which, after appropriate examination, turned out to be a European iron axe from the 17th century with a hammer on the back. The axe was illegally exported from Ukraine to the United States. 

Zelenskyy thanked all those involved in the return of the valuables for their work and stressed that "every time something returns to Ukraine, something stolen by Russians, means the return of life and justice."

It will be recalled that in March 2023, US Customs handed over three Scythian swords that had been illegally sent from Russia to the United States to the Ukrainian Embassy.