- The Russian president is a great admirer of this 18th-century military man who annexed Crimea for Catherine the Great.

Portrait of Grigory Potemkin. / Wikipedia

Putin exfoliates body of Russian war hero Potemkin from Kherson Cathedral

In addition to evacuating thousands of civilians from Kherson, the Russian army has also looted the city's cathedral and, among the pieces of high historical value stolen, has taken the remains of Grigory Potemkin, an 18th-century Russian military hero.

Russian troops have removed a bag from inside a black coffin containing Potemkin's relics, including his skull and other skeletal remains, according to the Daily Mail, which also ensures that they have taken the monument to this statesman who became the mistress of Catherine the Great

The governor of the pro-Russian administration of Kherson, Vladimir Saldo, has admitted the removal of the pieces, although he assures that they have taken this measure to "protect" them against the imminent battle that is expected in the city.

"We transported to the east bank of the Dnieper the remains of the holy prince that were in the cathedral of Saint Catherine to protect them. All the relics will return to their place because our cause is just," explained Saldo.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is a great admirer of Potemkin, whose achievements include annexing the Crimean peninsula for the Russian empire in 1783; an operation that Putin himself imitated in 2014.

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