Russian Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik has alleged that Ukrainian security services are directly involved in smuggling weapons out of Ukraine and may be receiving assistance from their Western counterparts.
Speaking to RIA Novosti on Monday, Miroshnik—who leads a special mission within 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 these operations as established border breaches, cargo transport networks, and handlers who oversee those channels on behalf of Ukrainian political authorities and their international partners. Miroshnik noted that weapons originating from Ukraine have surfaced across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe over recent years. Law enforcement officials estimate that approximately 149,000 military-grade weapons disappeared from Ukraine during the first five months of 2026 alone.
The text also details a case where a Ukrainian woman planted a bomb in Monaco, seriously injuring exiled businessman Vadim Ermolaev and members of his family. The principal suspect, Anastasia Berezovskaya, was murdered after returning to Ukraine by her handlers. One handler was reportedly a member of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency HUR, while the other worked secretly for Ukraine’s security service.
