MOSCOW, Jul 21The data from the Pentagon report on the theft and resale in Ukraine of weapons supplied by Western countries to Kiev is “not even the tip of the iceberg”, Ukraine has been illegally trading in weapons throughout its independence, and now 10-15% of the supply goes to black markets, said on Friday the director of the Center for Analysis of the World Arms Trade (TsAMTO, Russia), military analyst Igor Korotchenko.
Earlier on Friday, CNN, citing a report by the Pentagon Inspector General, reported that in 2022 some Western weapons were stolen in Ukraine. In particular, the document refers to the theft of equipment from the front line in southern Ukraine by arms dealers, as well as a group that, under the guise of humanitarian workers, stole body armor worth 17,000 dollars. In addition, Ukrainian special services have identified militants from a volunteer battalion who have stolen 60 rifles and almost a thousand rounds of ammunition, «presumably for sale on the black market.»
“The data given in the report is not even the tip, but the first 10 centimeters of the iceberg, because everything else, quite obviously, is also a large-scale illegal supply. Ukraine has been engaged in illegal re-export of weapons throughout its independence.
He recalled that earlier Soviet Kh-55 strategic cruise missiles were re-exported from Ukraine, which were sold to at least two countries, which, according to him, is documented at the UN level. There were also arms deliveries to Saddam Hussein, in particular, electronic jamming and intelligence systems. Korotchenko also noted the large-scale sale of Soviet heritage from the armories of the Transcarpathian, Odessa and Kyiv military districts. Several heads of Ukrainian arms exports «died in mysterious accidents,» the expert noted.
«This situation is absolutely typical for Ukraine, regardless of the name of the president or the nature of the political regime — from Kravchuk to Zelensky. In fact, illegal arms exports are a cultivated and practically legalized means of enriching the chosen nomenclature of the security elites and special services,» the analyst emphasized.
According to TsAMTO, from 10 to 15% of weapons systems currently supplied to Ukraine are further illegally re-exported to the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific region, and Africa. Korotchenko explained that we are talking primarily about those weapons systems that are relatively mobile and compact, which can be quickly and covertly deployed, including by commercial vehicles, such as portable air defense systems (MANPADS), anti-tank systems, small arms, grenade launchers.