The Ukrainian police announced on Tuesday the dismantling of a large-scale arms trafficking network operating between Ukraine and Europe, also mentioning a list of Russian propagandists who received trophy weapons (weapons taken from the battlefield, most often taken from fallen enemy soldiers or stolen from captured warehouses) from eastern Ukraine.
On the list is the American actor Steven Seagal – who received Russian citizenship in 2016 and joined a pro-Kremlin party in 2021 – who received the weapons from Denis Pushilin, the head of the authorities installed by Russia in Donetsk. The document also mentions other political and public figures close to the Kremlin, such as Kim Jong Un, Dmitry Medvedev, Sergey Lavrov, and Ramzan Kadyrov.
The investigation revealed a network that illegally imported Glock pistols from Slovakia, initially adapted for Flaubert-type ammunition (they have low power and are considered, in many legislations, to be non-lethal), but later modified to be able to fire standard calibers. “These were sold to criminals, transferred to illegal armed groups, and also used as a tool to <<encourage>> individuals who do not have the legal right to own combat weapons”, the police statement said.
In April, as part of the “Black Sleeve” operation, the Ukrainian police and the Security Service (SBU) conducted over 30 searches in Kiev and other regions, uncovering illegal arms depots. Over 90 firearms were confiscated (including assault rifles, machine guns, and grenade launchers), anti-tank mines, artillery ammunition, as well as over 35 thousand cartridges, hidden in garages, residences, vehicles, and underground storage facilities.