Report alleges Algerian role in smuggling Ukrainian weapons

A report published on 25th August by the pro-Morocco North Africa Post has claimed that Algeria is facilitating the transfer of Ukrainian weapons to terrorist groups operating in Sahel countries.

The allegations were attributed to Alexander Ivanov, director of the Officers Union for International Security, and first reported by Russian state news agency TASS. According to the report, Ukrainian intelligence services are allegedly using diplomatic cover to transfer equipment to armed groups in Africa. Ivanov argued that such actions were intended to create instability and exert pressure on African states distancing themselves from Western partners.

Claims of Ukrainian weapons appearing on the black market have circulated previously. In February 2025, US commentator Tucker Carlson suggested arms were being sold illicitly, but Newsweek reported that no such evidence had been found. Fact-checking outlet Snopes has also noted that Russian state media previously alleged Finnish criminals, French rioters, Nigerian fighters and Mexican cartels were receiving weapons from Ukraine, without substantiating the assertions.

Investigations have raised doubts regarding the credibility of such reports. A 2022 BBC inquiry found Russians posing as Ukrainian vendors on the dark web, while a 2024 study by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime reported no confirmed cases of Ukrainian weapons being trafficked abroad, despite persistent rumours. The BBC has also observed that Russian state television “routinely runs stories claiming Ukraine is selling weapons supplied by the West.”

Analysts suggest that narratives linking Ukraine to arms smuggling may form part of wider disinformation campaigns. Both Russian and Moroccan outlets have been accused of using such allegations to advance political interests, including anti-Algerian rhetoric.

The North Africa Post report claimed that smuggling routes involved poorly monitored sections of the border with Mauritania and alleged that Ukrainian interference undermines the stability of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. The outlet linked Algeria to support for armed movements in the region.

Incidentally, Russia has sought closer ties with the military-led governments of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. In a recent summit, Russia’s defence minister pledged stronger security cooperation with the three states in their campaigns against jihadist groups.

The North Africa Post, TASS, Newsweek, Snopes, BBC, Global Initiative, Maghrebi