The State Duma of the Russian Federation passed a law that removes time limits on the “special protection regime” for cultural heritage sites in the occupied territories of Ukraine. Previously this transitional period was scheduled to end on January 1, 2026, but it has now been made indefinite.
This is reported by pro-Russian media.
This mechanism gives the occupation administrations the right to independently determine the level of significance of monuments and to officially end their protection.
The occupiers justify the decision by “the impossibility of inspecting the condition of the sites” due to their proximity to the front line and the threat from drones. They claim that full work with the registers will begin only when “safe access” becomes available.