Overview
- The Culture Ministry released an official list of eight Napoleonic and royal pieces taken, and Empress Eugénie’s diadem was recovered outside the museum in damaged condition.
- Four masked thieves posing as workers used a truck-mounted lift and angle grinders to reach the Galerie d’Apollo and smash two display cases in roughly 4–7 minutes before fleeing on two scooters; no injuries were reported.
- Paris prosecutors have opened an organized-robbery case with about 60 investigators, pursuing leads that include international networks and not ruling out foreign sponsorship.
- A preliminary Court of Auditors assessment and union complaints point to gaps in camera coverage and staffing shortfalls in parts of the wing where the theft occurred.
- A Louvre curator gave a provisional valuation near €88 million, as experts warn the pieces are difficult to sell intact and risk being dismantled; President Emmanuel Macron rejected the museum director’s resignation as pressure builds to reinforce security.