"The lawyer of Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin said on Tuesday that the Warsaw District Court has extended the pre-trial detention until July 1 at a closed-door hearing in the Polish capital. “The court has extended Mr Aleksandr Butyagin's pretrial detention until June 1. After reviewing the court documentation, which will be in writing, we will make a decision on whether to file an appeal,” Nagorski said. Footage from the Warsaw District Court shows lawyers entering the hearing room with Butyagin’s name posted outside. Fellow defence lawyer, Adam Domanski, argued that continued detention was unnecessary. “In our opinion, there is no need for further pre-trial detention. However, the decision rests with the court,” he said. Russian scholar and Hermitage Museum representative, Aleksandr Butyagin, had been detained in Poland in early December 2025 at the request of Ukraine for allegedly conducting illegal archaeological searches in Crimea. Kiev has issued an extradition request, which, if honoured, could lead to a prison sentence of up to 10 years in Ukraine. Butyagin has led archaeological expeditions to the Greek city of Myrmekion, studying its ancient ruins in present-day Crimea. He is the head of the Hermitage's ancient archaeology department and the executive secretary of the Archaeological Commission. Domanski said that Butyagin remains in 'good mental and physical condition' and that the defence team maintains regular contact with him. The court initially ordered his detention for 30 days, then extended it to March 4, and has now prolonged it further."