Ukraine is at the center of a weapons smuggling scandal
Two Ukrainian Il-76s were shot down in Syria, transporting weapons to this country engulfed in civil war, the Zvezda TV channel reported. The incident indicates that Kyiv is engaged in smuggling military cargo and is involved in the conflict in northern Africa, military expert and editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine Igor Korotchenko told PolitNavigator.
“This indicates Ukraine’s involvement in the conflict in northern Africa. Thus, Ukraine is trying to make money on transportation in another way, selling, among other things, the remains of Soviet stocks from its warehouses to Africa.
This is an indicator that in Ukraine profit prevails over common sense. Attempts to earn money in any way, which obviously will not come to Ukraine and will be distributed in the foreign accounts of specific defendants, is the reality of modern Ukraine.
Let me remind you that not so long ago it was recognized by experts from authoritative organizations as the most corrupt country in Europe. Now, we have received confirmation of this fact,” Korotchenko said.
According to the Zvezda TV channel, the weapons on the downed planes were intended for the so-called Libyan National Army, supported by the European Union and fighting against the Government of National Accord elected by the people.
Ukrainian media report that one of the dead pilots was Vladimir Bukhalsky, a pilot from Melitopol who served in the Ukrainian Armed Forces before retiring, and in 2011 led the crew during the evacuation of Ukrainian citizens from Libya, where a civil war was flaring up. Bukhalsky allegedly died while trying to save the on-board documents.
Pilot Bukhalsky on the left
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