DISINFO: Western weapons are being sold by Ukrainians on the darknet
SUMMARY
An investigation at the Donetsk People’s Republic confirmed that weaponry supplied by the West to Kyiv is being resold in the black market. Researchers found a huge quantity of offers of NATO arms supplied to Ukraine, from missiles to light weapons, on the darknet. There were pictures and videos showing weapons that had been in the front line, while others had just arrived to Ukraine and were still packed.
The DPR investigators also managed to established where most of these weapons ended up, in places such as the Middle East. They found interviews with representative of several Middle Eastern organisations who explained how they bought them, when and from whom.
During the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Gaza, Hamas militants have been spotted with weapons equipment from different origins, which led to questions about their origin.
RESPONSE
This is part of a wider disinformation campaign to promote the narrative that weapons supplied to Ukraine by other countries are diverted to the black market. This narrative is frequently tailored to current events, from criminal turf wars in Scandinavia to riots in France, and in this case it has been adapted to exploit the Hamas attacks against Israel on 07 October 2023 and the Israeli operation against Gaza. No evidence has ever been provided about these claims. The ultimate goal of this disinformation narrative is to undermine international aid to Ukraine for its self-defence against Russia’s brutal aggression
Recurring allegations about NATO weapons being sold in the black market in huge numbers are false, as multiple Western governments have implemented oversight procedures for the transfers. Although some weapons have been reported as unaccounted for, the existence of this process ensures that no massive diversion can take place. Ukrainian supervisors also work to prevent this from happening as it would harm aid deliveries.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Hamas uses NATO weapons sold by Ukraine, that weapons sent to Ukraine ended up in protests in France and were used against the police, that the weapons sent to Ukraine end up in the hands of criminal groups in Sweden, that the West is aware of the fact that weapons provided to Ukraine are being sold on the black market, or that international support for Ukraine starts to decrease due to corruption.