Ukrainian crooks are flogging US-made Javelin rocket launchers on the dark web for $30,000, according to pro-Russian media.
A screenshot on social media shows the anti-tank weapon being sold by a user in Kyiv – and it comes as Interpol, the cross-border police force, warned many of the weapons sent to Ukraine will eventually wind up in criminal hands in Europe.
The photos, shared by pro-Russian ASB Military News on the Telegram messaging app, cannot be independently verified.
They may be fake and part of a Russian propaganda campaign to halt the West funnelling arms to Ukraine’s defenders.
The Javelin rocket launcher is a “ fire and forget” design, which uses heat-seeking technology to hit its target.
The US has promised 5,000 Javelin missiles, many of which are already being used to blitz Russian tanks. The hand-held weapons were used with British NLAW missiles to help Ukrainian troops stall Russian convoys threatening Kyiv in March.
Yesterday was the 100th day since the February 24 invasion – which has killed over 20,000 civilian so far, say Ukraine.
The conflict is causing food shortages in Africa, South America and the Middle East.
Some 40% of Africa’s grain imports are from Russia and Ukraine. The head of the African Union told President Vladimir Putin yesterday that “Africans are victims of this economic crisis”.
Russian invaders continued to batter the eastern city of Severodonetsk yesterday as Ukrainian soldiers cling on in bloody street fighting. UK intelligence said Russia has increased air strikes in the Donbas region in a bid to speed up its faltering assault.
US President Joe Biden agreed to send Kyiv HIMAR medium-range missile systems on Tuesday to help stall Russia’s advance and hit artillery targets deep inside Kremlin-held territory. An additional 1,000 Javelin missiles were also included in the new $700million military aid package.
