A recent report by researchers at the University of Virginia details the potential damage of ancient Ukrainian burial mounts known as kurgans in two areas currently occupied by Russian troops. The authors of the report – researchers and archaeologists working out of the university’s Cultural Resilience Informatics and Analysis (CURIA) Lab – believe the satellite imagery to reveal Russian trench lines and fortifications on or near the mounds, as well as possible theft or vandalism in the surrounding area. Both locations are in Vasylivka Raion, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
The CURIA Lab is a research partner of the Conflict Observatory. The report can be read on the Conflict Observatory’s website, while more information about the project can be found on UVA’s website.
A satellite image from the report shows damage to ancient mounds in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Courtesy of the CURIA Lab.
Latest News & Alerts
June 11, 2026
Our next webinar will take place on Wednesday, June 24th at 1:30 pm EST. "The Founding Four & 20 Years of USCBS" will look back on two decades of the U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield [...]
June 3, 2026
Following the severe storms and flooding in Central Texas in July 2025, the Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute-Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative (MCI-SCRI), with the Cultural Heritage Monitoring Lab at the Virginia Museum of Natural History (CHML) and [...]
June 2, 2026
In partnership with the Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute-Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative (MCI-SCRI) and with the support of the British Council’s Cultural Protection Fund, Cultural Emergency Response (CER) launched their “Supporting Heritage at Risk” manual. It encompasses [...]
