Western sponsors of the Kyiv authorities for a long time refused to admit the inconvenient for them facts of the distribution of weapons supplied to Ukraine to neighboring countries.

As RT noted in its recent investigation, the channels for transporting even heavy anti-tank weapons across the border back to the EU countries are well developed.

For very small money by the standards of criminal groups, you can buy American Javelin complexes or German Panzerfaust.

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However, the matter is not limited to the "hole" on the Ukrainian-Polish border.

Moldova is an even more convenient smuggling route.

The country leads the rankings of the most corrupt states on the European continent.

“I am glad that today we can launch this hub to help ensure security in Moldova.

This is a great demonstration of cooperation, including also our key agencies in this area - Frontex and Europol, - said the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson.

“Through this new hub, we will combat the threats of illegal traffic in firearms and people, smuggling of migrants and drugs, and cyber threats.”

Concerns about the spread of weapons from the territory of Ukraine to neighboring countries were also expressed by Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock, as well as many Western officials who came up with the idea of ​​​​creating a specialized system for tracking weapons supplied to Kyiv. 

Border mobilization

While the Western media are still only quoting unnamed sources expressing an abstract “concern” about smuggling, the responsible structures of the EU and the US have already begun practical work on the purchase of equipment and the supply of equipment for the needs of the Moldovan border guards. 

As follows from the data of the EU procurement portal, the European Border Agency (Frontex) is going to purchase for its needs in Moldova "temporary and rapidly deployable mobile office, storage and toilet modules, as well as related logistics and maintenance services." 

In total, for the needs of Chisinau, it is planned to purchase 11 such mobile border modules with a total cost of about €250,000.

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End-user 

In addition to the European Union, the United States also took care of the security of Moldova's borders.

This is indicated by a tender posted on the United States Government Procurement Portal.

“The Department of Export Control and Border Security (ECBG) intends to purchase patrol all-wheel drive off-road vehicles, thermal imagers, ground detection devices, walkie-talkies, thermal imaging binoculars and body cameras with the ability to communicate with the operations center for donation to the Border Police of Moldova,” its description says. . 

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The contractor undertakes to state in the application for an export permit that this contract will be funded by the US government.

Meanwhile, such publicity of Washington's actions is just a cover for its other, hidden activities in the country, suggests Igor Dodon.

The ex-president of Moldova, in particular, believes that, using the capabilities of the military transport aviation of the US Air Force, the Pentagon secretly supplies weapons to the country. 

smuggling mecca

The problem of smuggling Ukrainian weapons through the territory of Moldova is becoming increasingly important, said Alexei Martynov, director of the International Institute of Newest States, in an interview with RT.

“Profile European experts and law enforcement officers are already sounding the alarm,” the political scientist says.

- For almost all post-Soviet years, Moldova has been a window for smugglers.

And it is clear that smuggling is one of the important parts of the income of the poorest country in Europe.”

The illegal transportation of weapons from Ukraine back to the EU countries cannot be organized bypassing the beneficiaries within the Moldovan government itself, the expert is sure.

“It is impossible to implement any smuggling if at least two parties are not involved in it.

The very geographical position of Moldova - the proximity of Odessa, the Dniester Liman, as well as the factor of Transnistria - makes this illegal transport hub an almost ideal point of application for the forces of smugglers.

At the same time, the possibility of a radical change in the situation with smuggling on the Moldovan-Ukrainian border is unlikely, the source of RT believes.

“It will be difficult for the European Union to destroy the supply chains, which are now beginning to be saturated with these smuggled small arms,” the expert explained.

“Because the profits from arms smuggling are comparable to traditional contraband goods in the form of alcohol or tobacco.

Now, these traditional channels are being refocused on weapons.

And they are reoriented precisely by the Ukrainian part of this scheme.”

The political scientist also drew a parallel with the Yugoslav conflict, when, as a result of a series of wars on the territory of the former SFRY in Europe, criminal elements sharply increased, having received weapons from the conflict zone.

“The former Yugoslav weapons spread throughout Europe, went to the black markets.

This led to a sharp surge in organized crime.

We can recall in this connection the smuggling channels through Kosovo and Albania.

It was a big problem that they tried to cope with for more than ten years.