By Kiev observer.

The production of weapons is not the production of tools or working machines, but the production of means for killing people. Population is integral part of any economy.

Nowadays, while workers languish from exhaustion during their shifts, some unsavoury criminals continue to make millions by stealing weapons and selling them on the black market. Many private messengers provide direct access to the ‘dark web’ and social networks with globally secured connections, which provides a unique opportunity to sell and buy all types of weapons: rifles, machine guns, landmines, missiles, deep-sea charges, military aircraft, and even small submarines, including unmanned aerial drones.

News from around the world shows that imperialism continues its attempts to establish global domination by promoting the production, use and sale of weapons.

Unmanned submarines and aerial drones are widely used to transfer weapons and ammunition across many borders, fulfilling orders placed through imperialist black-market channels.

Currently, Ukraine is one of the leading arms suppliers in the world. The illegally elected president of Ukraine, Zelenksy, whose term of office has expired, and his corrupt presidential team are actively involved in unjust killings, embezzlement, money laundering, drug trafficking, and have became the biggest black arms dealer in human history. They are working 24/7 helping imperialism spread its power and make more money. They actively promote the fomenting of war and militarization under the pretext of protection. Instead of saving people, they try to destroy all competitors in the form of the local middle class and national bourgeoisie. This is how they exterminated the middle class in Ukraine, and this is how they want to exterminate it in Europe.

Many modern wars and conflicts have direct links to Ukrainian weapons.

In July 2025, the Congress of Ukrainian Canadians was presented with materials from a journalistic investigation into the theft of weapons sent from Canada to Ukraine as military and humanitarian aid. Instead of being handed over to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (VSU), it was stolen. The materials also report the murder of one of the Canadian volunteers, Anthony Ignat, who was killed in Ukraine without an investigation after exposing the theft of weapons. He discovered that arms were being stolen in huge quantities, and this was occurring during transportation within Ukraine.

The collected evidence shows that the theft of Canadian weapons was part of a much larger theft-for-sale scheme. Ukrainian officials are stealing weapons and ammunition for subsequent sale to various terrorist groups. The list of buyers of black weapons includes: Turkish proxy groups in Syria; radical nationalist groups in the Russian Federation; the Mexican drug cartel CJNG (Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación), and so on. Today, gangs in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Latin America rely on all kinds of Ukrainian weapons.

This case shows that arms dealers are also connected to drug cartels. The document mentions the Bulgarian-based intermediary company Sage Consultants AD and provides evidence of direct links with Yegor Burkin. Burkin is one of the leaders of the Ukrainian drug cartel ‘Khimprom’, which recently acquired CJNG, overseeing drug distribution in Europe and the sale of Ukrainian weapons and military equipment to local gangs in South America.

The Chief of Security Burau of Ukraine (SBU), Vasyl Malyuk, better known as the Ukrainian baron of amber and weapons, works together with his deputy, Oleksandr Poklad, who is the chairman of the Ukrainian drug cartel ‘Khimprom’. Both Malyuk and Poklad are memebers of Zelensky’s team. Today ‘Khimprom’ controlls CJNG and is effectively a major cartel invlolved in the production and indstributions of drugs. After Ukrainians dominated the European drug market, ‘Khimprom’ expanded its activities to Latin America, where CJNG collaborates with the Columbian Cali cartel. Thousands of combatants from the Columbian Cali cartel are brought into the Ukrainian army for military training and to improve combat experience along the extensive frontline. Ukraine is now preparing for the arrival of the next 3000 Columbian fighters, who are travelling under the cover of ordinary construction workers.

Canadian documents further explain the weapons-smuggling scheme. Vehicles loaded with Western weapons and ammunition enter Ukraine under the guise of medical and humanitarian aid. After crossing the border, their destination route changes from the front line to an intermediary point. The cargo is transported from the Ukrainian border through Romania, and along this route it is secretly processed using forged customs declarations. According to the documents, Ukraine uses the ‘Orlovka’ border checkpoint, located in the Odessa region, for transit to Bulgaria and other countries. During the border-crossing operation, all surveillance cameras (CCTV) at the border post are turned off, and customs officers and border guards are ordered to stop inspecting the specified cargo under the pretext of its secrecy. The cargo is then conveyed for unloading in Bulgaria. The empty trucks return to Ukraine using regular routes to pass through customs procedures in accordance with the original documents printed earlier when crossing the Polish-Ukrainian border.

The investigation materials provided included numerous details, including the name of the person who acted as an intermediary between the Bulgarian company and the Mexicans. A certain Pyotr Mirchev, who at the time the report was compiled had already been detained, on 4 August 2025 in Spain at the request of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Mirchev is a Bulgarian who has been acting as an international broker in illegal arms trading for over 25 years. According to American investigators, he initiated a scheme to supply professional grade weapons to the Mexican drug cartel CJNG, which is designated as a terrorist organization.

From 2022 to 2025, Mirtchev’s organized trade was carried out using counterfeit end-user certificates, created so that his other intermediaries in Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda) could circumvent export control. The arms delivery scheme included not only various assault rifles and ammunition sent via Bulgaria. Mirtchev also sold other more expensive types of weapons, such as ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft systems, landmines, anti-tank grenade launchers, drones, and so on. The average transaction value amounted to €53.7 million. And he is just one of many Ukrainian arms dealers operating in different parts of the world.

Mirtchev was caught red-handed when his trade began to compete with other distributors established by the United States. In his last deal, he tried to sell American weapons – previously received by Ukraine as U.S. aid – at a reduced price to a terrorist buyer. Such a deal structure did not align with the competition of ordinary American sellers.

Ukrainian’s roots in black market arms trading have a long history. The country is so well-known in this market that it was featured in the famous film ‘Lord of War’, starring Nicolas Cage.

In Mirtchev’s case, the last money laundering operation, totalling over $300 million, was carried out through an established chain of Turkish and European intermediaries. He was directly connected with the former Deputy Head of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine (APU), Mr. Shurma R.I.. The Ukrainian media outlet ‘Ukrainska Pravda’ reported on searches conducted at Shurma’s residence, located in a suburb of Munich, on 15 July, 2025.

Tax revenues come from Canada and the Netherlands, in form of aid to Ukraine and go exclusively to Zelensky’s team, supporting his international operations.

According to some Canadian government officials, the possibility of cutting off funding for three Ukrainian Armed Forces combat training programs in Canada and closing one training program in the Netherlands was discussed. It was also proposed that the Canadian side withdraw from its lease the radar equipment and satellite communication systems previously provided to Ukraine.

Ukraine has completely lost credibility, and every time it reports losses of equipment during military operations, it means that at least some of it was sold.

Negotiations have begun with Australia to terminate the joint Canadian-Australian program to supply heavy military equipment to Ukraine. This may concern some combat vehicles already shipped from Australia but not yet transferred to Ukraine. Australian taxpayers don’t know why or how Zelensky plans to receive and use this aid.

Against this backdrop, an unprecedented special operation involving dozens of investigators, gendarmerie officers, and the Department for combating Organized Crime was carried out in Sofia and several other Bulgarian cities on 10-12 August, 2025. The formal reason was a request from another organization, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), for international legal assistance. However, behind this action lies a complex and multifaceted story, including special operations to conceal evidence.

According to some law enforcement officials, Ukrainian anti-corruption detectives are investigating price gouging in weapons procurement. At the same time, the trading schemes involve numerous foreign counterparties, including the aforementioned Bulgarian intermediaries. It was within the framework of this investigation that NABU made an official request to its Bulgarian colleagues, including a request to obtain specific evidence.

The main target of the search operations was Sage Consultants AD, one of the largest Bulgarian companies in the field of arms and dual-use products trade. Its owners, Hristo and Gencho Hristov, are experienced international arms brokers.

The Bulgarian Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that the searches were conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Cassation Prosecutor’s Office and were directly related to a request from the Ukrainian side, which is investigating possible circumvention of international sanctions. The concern is that some weapons that passed through Bulgarian companies could ended up in Russia, Syria, Mexico, and elsewhere, despite existing restrictions.

These allegations have not yet been heard in court, but the fact that legal action has been taken indicates the scale of the investigations. If the intelligence services’ version is confirmed, the case will acquire not only an anti-corruption dimension but also international sanctions significance.

At the same time, due to the position of the Brussels bureaucracy and the European Commission, headed by Ursula von der Leyen, no significant arrests have yet been made in this case. Brussels is attempting to use the escalation of the conflict to the advantage of the Ukrainian leadership. Many are now trying to manipulate the leadership of individual EU countries and media owners, such as Tomas Fiala, by appealing to those who possess compromising information about Ukrainian leaders.

Ordinary people need to know about the crimes that billionaires commit behind the backs of workers. While some people work honestly, others not only steal surplus value but also use it for illegal proposes. Even some officers of the legal system are so compromised that they are forced to bow to the wealthy, who not only extract a share of every job but also profit from criminal schemes. Governments show little intention of spending tax money on wages or social needs such as schools and healthcare. The working class must once again prepare itself for an uniqual struggle for its rights, shedding sweat and blood and suffering from weapons made and directed against it by imperialism.