Man suspected of removing Banksy mural in Ukraine could face 12 years prison sentence

Ukraine’s government says the suspected mastermind responsible for stealing British artist Banksy´s mural, could face a prison sentence if found guilty  

The main mastermind responsible for stealing street artist Banksy´s artwork in Ukraine, could face upto 12 years in prison.  

This announcement was made by Ukraine´s interior ministry, which said that, the man they suspect of orchestration the operation, was given a suspicious notice.  

The artwork that was stolen, depicted a woman in a gas mask, wearing a dressing gown, while holding an extinguisher. It had been stolen from a wall in the town of Hostomel, on December 2, 2022.  

The residential building where the mural was made is located in the Kiyv region, and was heavily damaged during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  

Banksy has confirmed that he had painted the mural, aside from six others, located in areas that were severely hit during the war since February.  

The ministry said that the stolen artwork, which was later recovered, is estimated to be valued at over ₴ 9 million (€230,957).

The statement by the ministry said, “The criminals tried to transport this graffiti with the help of wooden boards and polyethylene,”, adding, “Thanks to the concern of citizens, the police and other security forces managed to arrest the criminals.”

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