"Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin's colleagues praised his decades of work in Simferopol on Friday, describing him as a leading expert in ancient archaeology amid his detention in Warsaw. Vadim Mayko, the Director of the Institute of Archaeology of Crimea at the Russian Academy of Sciences, said that Butyagin's active scientific work in Crimea prompted criticism from some in Ukraine. "Some people in Ukraine strongly disliked the active scientific work that Alexander Mikhailovich was doing in Crimea. He was doing too good a job on the peninsula, and many people, obviously, did not like that," Mayko claimed. "For the previous 26 years, no one complained about his excavations. He is an excellent field specialist and conducts excavations competently. Not only does he excavate, but he also regularly publishes his findings, which are open to the public," he explained. Mayko added that the institute prepared documents, including excavation permits issued in Kiev and certificates "confirming that all his finds had been handed over to the Crimean Museum fund". "These documents should be used during the court hearing in Poland. I think that the Polish justice system should focus, let's say, on how absurd this situation is and let Alexander Mikhailovich go," he stressed. Sergei Lantsov, Head of the Ancient Archaeology Department, lauded the Russian specialist, highlighting his lifelong devotion to Crimea. "He devoted his whole life to Crimea - it was his love. He could have worked in any country: in Turkish Miletus or somewhere in Athens. He worked in Italy for a while. Most importantly, he worked in the independent Ukraine," he added. According to Polish media, Warsaw's internal security agents detained the Russian citizen for 40 days at Ukraine's request last week. He is accused of conducting 'illegal archaeological excavations' in Crimea, with Kyiv expected to submit a formal extradition request. Piotr Skiba, spokesperson for the District Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw, confirmed the arrest, stating that Butyagin was being held on "suspicion of conducting predatory archaeological exploration and destruction of cultural monuments in Crimea". Moscow has condemned the detention as 'legal tyranny.' Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the scientist was in Poland to give a series of lectures, calling the case a 'purely political provocation.' Butyagin, affiliated with the Russian Hermitage Museum, is a specialist in ancient archaeology and took part in excavations at the ancient Myrmekion settlement in Kerch. The allegations concern activities between February 2014 and November 2025. Crimea has been under Russian control since 2014."