There is no smuggling to the black market: Ukraine tracks the movement of Western weapons with the help of NATO software

The other day, the Financial Times published material that NATO and EU countries insist on improving the system

tracking the weapons they suppliedUkraine, due to fears that it is being exported from the country to the European black market. And Congresswoman Victoria Spartz called for proper oversight of the supply "so we don't have to look to Syria or Mexico for our weapons." This information was commented on by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Alexey Reznikov.

So is there any smuggling?

In an interview with the Financial Times, Reznikov assured that Ukraine is interested in keeping all the weapons received: “We need to survive. We have no reason to smuggle weapons out of Ukraine.”

According to him, to monitor the movementUkraine uses NATO software, which it received in 2019. And NATO members can access it. In addition, Ukraine wants to expand its use from the central level to brigade and maybe battalion, and is also developing two other tracking systems that will work in parallel with NATO software.

In addition, heavy weapons such as155-mm howitzers and missile systems, equipped with GPS trackers - and Western military satellites can follow it. As for portable weapons (for example, Stinger MANPADS and light kamikaze drones), although they do not have tracking systems, they are used by special forces - which means they are under strict control.

Reznikov acknowledged that arms smuggling is notis “absolutely impossible”, but so far Europol has not notified the Ukrainian government or customs of specific cases. Weapons left Ukraine only twice: a howitzer was sent to Europe for repairs, as well as burnt Russian equipment for an exhibition in European capitals.

He also said that some allies have sent military representatives to Ukraine to oversee the flow of weapons, and invited other countries to follow suit.

“I discuss this with partners, I discuss this with other defense ministers – do they have any concerns? They say no," Aleksey Reznikov emphasized.

Indeed, the US Department of Defense also commented and stated that they do not monitor weapons, but are confident that all military assistance is used only to protect against Russian aggression.

“We do not track weapons.And, frankly, we are confident that the Ukrainians are [correctly] using the weapons that we provided them, and have not seen any signs that these weapons were sent elsewhere than to fight the Russians, ”concluded the senior representative Pentagon.