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Anyone any idea of the legal status of the former soviet vehicle memorials left behind in the Ukraine?

Reason I ask is that during a flying visit last week an acquaintance showed me something unusual in a village right off the beaten track that was covered in rubbish and anti-russian graffiti. After some conversation with members of the village council they decided I could have it in return for replacing about a mile & half of water main from the local reservoir to the village and erecting a small stone memorial in its place.... Really strange sort of a day.

Can of worms?
I'd suggest that your first point of call, would be the Ukrainian equivalent of the Ministry of Defence.
Just because the locals say you can have the thing, trundling it up to customs on your low-loader will probably result in it being confiscated and you incarcerated!
There's a real stink going on about a Bf109, recovered from a college in India, it's currently (alledgedly) in the UK, but it's not gone down well with the higher-ups.
www.warbirds.in/wdy/23...ml?start=2

Somebody would be sure to appear out of the mist, wearing a frowny face and with his hand out. Probably more than just one.

Not quite the same thing as finding a Hemi 'Cuda in a barn in Oklahoma or something that you can settle with a handshake and a bag o' cash.

I'm pretty sure there are laws protecting memorials. Even deserted ones. You have to obtain some sort of permission from the local administration or the Ministry of Culture (or whatever it's called in Ukraine). Theoretically, it still belongs to the state (or successor state, in this case). Also, you have to have some paperwork in order to acquire it, transport it and remove it from Ukraine. It's easier if it's a demilitarized vehicle.

The documentation to export it costs around $1000 and takes months to come through.

At the moment there seems to be some confusion over the ownership as their government seems to think ownership was transferred to the local municipal authorities as was responsibility for maintaining them (the main reason why it was transferred) apparently a lot of municipal authorities want the government to retain ownership and responsibility for maintenance (cost being the reason)

Then there are the indigenous russians who see it as an insult if any russian memorial is touched...

It may be that it can be replaced by a surplus T-34 as there a loads of them around and they are more identifiable with the war.....