U.S. returns historic artifacts stolen by Russia to Ukraine

The Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications reported the handover.

Robert Silvers, U.S. Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Strategy, Policy, and Plans, presented Tochytskyi with four medieval iron sabers, dating back to the 9th to 13th centuries.

The sabers were intercepted by Customs and Border Protection at an international mail facility in Newark, New Jersey. The package was labeled as a barbecue kit, Silvers explained. Officers inspected it and flagged it for further examination.

“Our team reached out to the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in Kyiv, sent over the photos, and they confirmed the artifacts as part of Ukraine’s cultural heritage,” Silvers noted.

Currently, Ukrainian experts are reviewing photos of seven additional artifacts for identification.

"Each returned artifact is a small but important victory in our fight for our identity and, ultimately, our freedom. These items are symbols of Ukraine’s spirit, its longing for independence. As long as our idea remains alive, we will endure, fight, and win," Tochytskyi said.

• Volyn customs transferred confiscated items to the National Holodomor Museum and three other Ukrainian museums.