The police of the European Union announced cases of arms trade allegedly from Ukraine on the black market. The team of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky responded to the accusations,
Kyiv . UkraineGate. 22. July . 2022 | Ukraine News
Details
As DW writes , in a confidential report of the police service of the European Union (Europol), addressed to the Council of the EU, it is said that criminal networks are engaged in smuggling “a significant amount of firearms and ammunition” from Ukraine to the countries of the European Union.
The report contains information about the consequences of the war in Ukraine and terrorist threats to the European Union.
According to the data, the law enforcement officers are aware of a number of cases “when individuals tried to leave Ukraine with firearms.”
The police service also assumes that hideouts were created along the Ukrainian border with the EU for the organization of smuggling.
According to Europol, some of the countries that have accepted a large number of refugees fear that some of them have firearms for self-defense.
The police also suspect that some Ukrainians have transported weapons across the border for sale or exchange for goods or services. In particular, there are reports of cases where weapons could be used to pay for taxi rides.
The representative of Europol, Jan Op Gen Oort, told the dpa agency that cases of trade in firearms and other military goods allegedly from Ukraine on the black market had been recorded.
Reaction of Ukraine
Kyiv stated that it demands evidence and facts from Europol regarding these accusations. In particular, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Oleksiy Danilov, noted that the publication of “arms smuggling” in the Western media coincides with Russia’s deployment of a large-scale special information operation “MakZim” to discredit Ukraine; its purpose is to stop the supply of weapons from the Allies.
Quote
“The operation is being conducted precisely in the period when during the war there are qualitative changes in favor of the Armed Forces – precisely in connection with the arrival of advanced Western weapons,” Danilov wrote on his Twitter.
He added that he is waiting for a substantive discussion with the official representatives of Europol – with facts and evidence of statements about alleged cases of “trade in firearms and military goods on the black market” from Ukraine.
“We are most interested in a quick exchange of information and an instant response,” summed up the Secretary of the NSDC.
Addition
The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak , suggested to the parliamentarians to consider the idea of creating a temporary special commission that would deal with issues of control over the use of weapons by partners.
The Verkhovna Rada voted in favor of a resolution on the creation of a temporary special commission of the Verkhovna Rada on issues of monitoring the receipt and use of international material and technical assistance during martial law.
Source: Ukrgate
