A formal ceremony took place at the Ukrainian Embassy in Georgetown, Washington, where three ancient swords and a stone axe, discovered in a package that originated from Russia, were formally handed over to Ukrainian diplomats. The event drew attention from foreign policy observers who noted the unusual provenance of these artifacts.
According to reporting by a major newspaper, which cited an unnamed Ukrainian diplomat, the weapons displayed at the embassy are believed to be stolen artifacts that were shipped from the Krasnodar Territory. Experts from the Archaeological Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine analyzed the items, dating the swords to the 5th or 6th century BC and the polished flint axe to the 3rd century BC, underscoring their ancient origin and cultural value. This assessment has been attributed to the institute’s specialists and helps establish the historical significance of the pieces in question.
In a related development, the Ukrainian diplomat indicated that from July through September 2022, officers with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted more than 20 packages sent by an individual who authorities believe may be involved in smuggling. The shipments were received at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, and the ongoing inquiry seeks to determine whether these consignments originated from Ukraine. This line of investigation adds another layer to ongoing efforts to curb illicit transfers of cultural property and to determine the full chain of custody for the items recovered.
Separately, in a different case, authorities reported that Anatoly Legkodymov, a citizen of the Russian Federation and co-founder of the Bitzlato cryptocurrency exchange based in Miami, was arrested by FBI agents in the United States. The arrest is part of broader actions related to financial and cyber activities tied to illicit networks, and it has generated additional scrutiny of cross-border exchanges and enforcement.