Russian propaganda media spread information that the EU is preparing to strengthen the fight against "arms smuggling and drug trafficking" from Ukraine. There were similar, and sometimes even more manipulative, headlines in articles in European and American publications. It is a manipulation in which the narrative about the alleged sale of weapons provided by the West of Ukraine to other countries is once again spreading. "We have some data, but experience suggests that weapons often move during or after wars. We know how many weapons there are in Ukraine now and, of course, not all weapons are always in the right hands," Russian media quoted the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs Ylva Johansson as saying on July 11 during an informal meeting of the Ministers of Internal Affairs of Moldova, Ukraine and the EU in Prague.

However, there are no such words in the official press release posted on the website of the European Commission. At the same time, the release mentions Russia's military aggression against Ukraine and the joint work of Ukraine, Moldova, and the EU to prevent drug trafficking, cybercrime, human trafficking, and illegal circulation of firearms.

There are always risks of an increase in such crimes during the war, but it is about coordinating the work to prevent such crimes - Ukraine, like Moldova, is the partner of the EU in such a fight and not an accused party. Ukraine also denied such manipulation: "The information that Ukraine is becoming the main center of arms smuggling is not true," said the advisor to the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Yuriy Sak. He suggested those who make such statements "may be part of Russia's information war to prevent international partners from providing Ukraine with the weapons necessary for our victory."

Read more about this manipulation in the StopFake material.