Missiles sent to Ukrainian troops could end up on black market

CRIMINAL gangs are trying to intercept Western weapons supplies sent to Ukraine amid fears they will be sold on the black market, the Daily Mail can reveal.

British anti-tank rockets are among an estimated £7billion of military aid to have flooded the country during recent months to help repel Russia’s invasion.

Only the higher-grade systems are tracked, prompting police to fear gangs, and even terrorists, could exploit the lack of oversight which has seen equipment ‘disappear’.

A security source yesterday claimed Eastern European gang members are entering Ukraine from Poland, paying cash for weapons

‘Records of weapons were abandoned’

and slipping back into the EU. Night vision goggles and body armour are also being snapped up, with EU law enforcement agency Europol calling for more checks.

A spokesman said: ‘The war has caused a proliferation of firearms and explosives. Initially the Ukrainians kept records of weapons, but this was abandoned as the war progressed. Now there are no records.’

Russia has posted videos on social media supposedly showing Syriabased fighters with Western antitank weapons. UK defence sources claim the clips are fake but the scenario is considered realistic.

Other clips uploaded anonymously to pro-Russian accounts apparently show anti-tank missile casings during black market sales in Ukraine.

But the recordings are said to lack credibility as no geolocation tags or time-stamps are attached to the film. A security source said: ‘It is easy to pose with the cases which missiles come in. It looks impressive but they’d need to steal the command launch unit and codes.’

Ukrainian government adviser Yuriy Sak said Kyiv was working hard to allay Western fears, with all movements of weaponry ‘closely monitored by ourselves and our international partners’.

The UK’s Ministry of Defence said it has protections in place.

A spokesman said: ‘We conduct a rigorous assessment of the risks ... and ensure an end-user agreement is signed by the armed forces of Ukraine.’