Regarding the issue of weapons loss in Ukraine, Russia and Ukraine each held different positions on August 3. Russian Foreign Minister Vladimir Medvedev accused Ukraine of turning into a "black market for weapons," while the Ukrainian Counter-Fraud Center directly labeled Russia's claims as "false information."
Russian Foreign Minister Vitaly Mironchik stated on August 3 that a large amount of weapons is being funneled into the black market in Ukraine through organized channels. This process involves the coordinated participation of Kyiv’s official intelligence agencies and Western countries.
Miroshnik claimed that Ukraine is evolving into a "arms black market," where lost weapons not only flow to criminal organizations in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, but also spread to Europe.
Miroshnik also emphasized that such large-scale arms outflows are not isolated incidents, but systematic activities carried out with the support of intelligence systems. “These aren’t individual hiding places or temporary concealments, but coordinated transnational transportation networks that involve various modes of logistics—land, water, and air transport—and are under the control of the Ukrainian government and its foreign allies,” he said.
Additionally, he stated that according to Italian media outlet Daily Fact, as of the end of July 2022, Ukraine had lost or had weapons stolen totaling 780,465 units. Miroshnik further noted that these weapons have ended up in the hands of criminal groups in various European countries, exacerbating the crime situation in those countries.
In response to the above statements, the Ukrainian Anti-Fake Information Center issued a statement on the same day to refute them. The statement claimed that the number “780465” cited by Russia was taken out of context. This figure actually represents the official statistics provided by the Ukrainian Interior Ministry regarding civilian and personal firearms that have been lost or stolen since Russia’s full-scale “invasion,” and has nothing to do with Western military assistance. The statement also denied accusations that Ukraine has sold drones to the Italian mafia. The Ukrainian Anti-Fake Information Center also explained that the Italian media reports were merely expressing concerns of law enforcement agencies regarding potential risks in the European arms market.
