Ukraine accuses Russian forces of seizing 2,000 artworks in Mariupol

City council is reportedly preparing materials to initiate criminal proceedings over mass cultural looting

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Ukrainian officials have accused Russian forces of seizing over 2,000 artworks" from museums in the occupied city of Mariupol and moving the pieces to areas of the Russian-controlled Donbas region.

The occupiers liberated' Mariupol from its historical and cultural heritage. They stole and moved more than 2,000 unique exhibits from museums in Mariupol to Donetsk," the Mariupol city council said in a statement posted on its Telegram channel on Thursday.