"The Polish courts decided on Monday to prolong the arrest of Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin until March 4, with Poland still reportedly considering a request from Ukraine for extradition over alleged 'illegal excavations in Crimea'. The hearing, which was held in the Warsaw District court, granted a motion from prosecutors to extend the detention for a total period of three months, citing concerns over a potential 'flight risk' , according to defence lawyer Adam Domanski. "As defence counsel, I obviously disagree with the court's position. We will be filing an appeal against this decision within seven days,” Domanski told reporters. “Regarding the fear of escape, Mr. Aleksander has a temporary residence in Poland, which has been arranged for him. We also believe that he is not a person who could obstruct the proceedings in any way, and we will also present this in an appropriate appeal," he added. Despite the court’s decision, Domanski said his client’s health was in relatively 'good condition'. "His mood is positive considering the circumstances, and there have been no complaints or negative information from him at the moment." Butyagin has been held in Poland since early December, following an official extradition request from Ukraine. Kiev accuses the Russian archaeologist of conducting unauthorised archaeological research between 2014 and 2019 in Crimea. According to Polish media, Warsaw's internal security agents detained the Russian citizen for 40 days at Ukraine's request last month. 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."