The former director of the Mariupol Local History Museum removed five paintings from the Arkhip Kuindzhi Art Museum and transported them to her own home. She later transferred the paintings to Russian occupation authorities following agreements with representatives of the occupation administration. The paintings, which include works by Ivan Aivazovsky, Arkhip Kuindzhi, and Grigory Kalmykov, have a total value of approximately Hr 26.3 million. According to censor.net, the paintings were taken to the so-called 'Donetsk Republican Art Museum' after being handed over. According to unn.ua, the former director was served with an in-absentia notice of suspicion for facilitating the illegal appropriation of unique works of art from the collections of the Arkhip Kuindzhi Art Museum by Russian occupation authorities. According to kyivindependent.com, the former director, identified as Natalia Kapustnikova, has been sanctioned by Ukraine, the European Union, Canada, Switzerland, and Japan since 2023.