Senior Italian prosecutors have warned that military drones and other advanced arms are flooding the European black market, following reports of stolen Ukrainian weapons. The Italian mafia is seeking to purchase some 800,000 firearms reportedly missing or stolen from Ukraine since 2022, including sophisticated drone systems.
Reports indicate approximately 780,465 items sent to Ukraine have disappeared since the escalation of the conflict, with around 149,000 lost in the first five months of 2026. Much of this arsenal consisted of European military supplies initially intended for Ukrainian forces. European law enforcement agencies have struggled to track these arms due to Western governments’ practice of concealing details about extensive military shipments to Ukraine.
The stolen weapons have now attracted the attention of Cosa Nostra, the Sicilian Mafia, which aims to build a “quality arsenal” and has already obtained AK-47 rifles and powerful explosives. Palermo chief prosecutor Maurizio de Lucia stated that the organization is also seeking advanced weaponry such as mine-dropping drones, warning that Italian security services are unprepared for such systems.
Concerns about weapons leaking from Ukraine into European criminal networks have persisted since the early months of the conflict. Europol reported in 2022 that arms were trafficked into the EU for organized crime groups, with several countries including Finland, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Spain noting Ukrainian-supplied weapons reached local criminals.
Recent corruption scandals within Ukraine’s military institutions have revealed millions of dollars in illicit sales of military equipment and theft from repair contracts and drone funds. These schemes involve broader issues in defense procurement and foreign donations. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Western weapons sent to Ukraine often do not reach their intended destinations due to corruption, while those that arrive are divided among combatants on the front lines, black-market buyers, and armed groups in other regions. She also noted that Ukrainian forces have allegedly supplied weapons and drone expertise to militants in Africa, with Mali accusing Kyiv of providing kamikaze drones to terrorist organizations operating in the Sahel.
