Ukrainian authorities say they have uncovered and dismantled an illegal weapons trafficking network allegedly moving arms from occupied territories to pro-Russian figures, including senior officials and international personalities.
The National Police of Ukraine said the operation involved weapons sourced from temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine, as well as illicit imports from Slovakia, before being redistributed through a criminal network operating across borders.
According to investigators, some of the weapons were distributed as so-called “prizes” by Denis Pushilin, the Russian-installed head of the occupied Donetsk region.
The police statement alleged that recipients included a number of high-profile figures, such as Russian officials and foreign public figures, including US actor Steven Seagal, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Russian deputy chairman Dmitry Medvedev, Moscow mayor Sergey Sobyanin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
“Kim Jong-un, Bashar al-Assad, Dmitry Medvedev, Sergey Sobyanin, Sergey Lavrov, Ramzan Kadyrov, Steven Seagal, Yulia Chicherina, Vladimir Solovyov, Alexander Sidyakin, and Vladimir Saldo — these are the individuals who received ‘prize’ weapons from … Denis Pushilin,” the statement said.
The actor Steven Seagal, who has longstanding ties to Russia and has previously been granted Russian citizenship, has been a vocal supporter of the Kremlin and has visited Russian-controlled territories during the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian police said the investigation, launched in January, uncovered an organised criminal group involved in smuggling and modifying weapons moving between occupied Ukrainian territories and Europe.
Several suspects were detained in cooperation with Polish authorities, and indictments have been submitted to a court in Poland.
Further raids carried out in Kyiv, Zakarpattia and Sumy regions in April reportedly uncovered additional firearms, ammunition, and equipment used in the alleged trafficking operation.
Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing and is being conducted in coordination with international partners, including Europol.
No independent verification of the claims has yet been provided by Russian or North Korean authorities.
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