RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Israeli cyber espionage specialist KELA has found a quantity of Western war weapons on the darknet, apparently offered for sale by Ukrainians, according to a report.
KELA has found offers for weapons allegedly posted by Ukrainians on several darknet markets, some of which specialize in firearms. One of these markets is “Thief,” which contains a total of 9 offers related to Ukraine, offered by three sellers.
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The first seller, “Weapons Ukraine,” lists rifles, grenades, and bulletproof vests in a price range between US$1,100 and US$3,600 and promises delivery on the territory of Ukraine. While no users have left a review for this store, 32 have completed a purchase, according to the marketplace’s statistics.
Another seller on “Thief” is “Big Discounts on Weapons,” which offers a U.S.-supplied Javelin ATGM anti-tank missile system for US$30,000. The seller has specified Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, as the location.
Criminals could use these Javelins to cause massive damage – for example, in attacks on well-secured cash transports, museums, or jewelry stores.
Another market listing weapons supplied to Ukraine by NATO countries, according to the report, is Black Market Guns, which offers NLAW anti-tank missiles for US$15,000 and the U.S.-made Switchblade 600 kamikaze drone for US$7,000. These weapons are also just a treat for criminal organizations.
Juergen Stock, the head of Interpol, warned that weapons and heavy weaponry will flood the international market after the end of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, according to a Guardian report.
“As soon as the weapons [in Ukraine] are silent, illegal weapons will come. We know this from many other conflict cases. Criminals are focusing on these weapons even now, as we speak,” Stock said, stressing that the illegal weapons flowing into the black market will pose a challenge.
This is because not only criminals but also terrorists would be able to stock up on high-value weapons of war so cheaply.
Meanwhile, the British Mirror claims that these offers could also be a Russian disinformation campaign, especially since they have also been spread on pro-Russian Telegram channels, among others, and cannot be verified.
However, according to the above-mentioned Israeli cyber espionage company KELA, the offers certainly seem to have been created by Ukrainian sources.