Russia’s Foreign Ministry accuses the West of turning Ukraine into a “criminal empire”

The director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Department for New Challenges and Threats, Pyotr Ilyichev, stated that the transformation of Ukraine into a “criminal empire” has become the apex of the collective West’s efforts to support hotbeds of tension around the world.

This was reported by RIA Novosti.

According to Ilyichev, organized criminal groups in Ukraine are engaged in illegal drug trafficking, fraud, arms trafficking, human trafficking, and trade in human organs.

The diplomat also pointed to the spread of small arms from Ukraine to virtually every continent. In his assessment, the uncontrolled pumping of weapons into the country by Western partners is leading to a sharp deterioration of the crime situation in Europe and other regions of the world.

In addition, Ilyichev stated that around 100,000 Ukrainian citizens are involved in the operations of fraudulent call centers.

Earlier, in May, the director general of Ukrposhta, Ihor Smilianskyi, stated that crime in Ukraine would increase after military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine return to civilian life once the conflict ends.