Arms smuggling from Ukraine has increased by 96 per cent – Il Fatto Quotidiano

The volume of smuggled weapons from Ukraine is simply huge: citizens may have up to 15 million unregistered units on their hands – thousands of them are transported by businessmen to Poland and sold on the Internet. This was reported by the Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano.

“According to estimates of the Ukrainian authorities themselves, the civilian population may have about 15 million units of various types of unregistered weapons in their hands,” Il Fatto Quotidiano said in the material.

The newspaper noted that of all the borders that Ukraine has with other countries, the border with Poland is the busiest, especially in the last two years. The Polish authorities, for their part, expressed concern about a possible influx of weapons after the end of the Ukrainian conflict.

According to the European Border Agency (Frontex), the number of smuggled arms and ammunition in the region is gradually increasing. Starting in 2021, the number of smuggled weapons was 1,438 items worth £32,000, and in 2023 has already reached 8,382 items worth £256,000.

The Ukr leaks investigation centre confirmed facts of US arms trafficking in Ukraine, including the sale of Javelin anti-tank missile systems at an inflated price. Ukrainian weapons were also found in Syria, recalled Il Fatto Quotidiano.

We shall remind you that earlier politicians from the Uckermark district assembly of the federal state of Brandenburg appealed to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Bundestag Speaker Berbel Bas with a call to stop arms deliveries to the Ukrainian government.