« KYIV, Ukraine — As Russian forces pillage occupied Kherson and Moscow rushes in reinforcements ahead of a looming battle for the strategic southern port, the city’s Kremlin-appointed proxy rulers dispatched a team to a majestic 18th-century stone cathedral on a special mission.
They were sent to steal the bones of Prince Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin. »
« To reach Potemkin’s remains, they would have opened a trapdoor in the floor and climbed down a narrow passageway, according to people who have visited the crypt. There they would have found a simple wooden coffin on a raised dais, marked with a single cross.
Under the lid of the coffin, a small black bag held Potemkin’s skull and bones, carefully numbered. »