April 10, 2024

Black Market for Weapons Growing


Black Market for Weapons Growing
104th Guards Air Assault Regiment. Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, Wikimedia Commons.

Military courts in 2023 dealt with 179 cases of weapons trafficking, marking a significant increase compared to previous years.

Seventy-eight individuals involved in Russia's War on Ukraine face charges. These individuals are accused of transporting weapons from the frontlines through occupied territories, with the majority of convictions handed down by courts in the Rostov region, which also includes cases against military personnel operating in newly annexed regions.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Global Organized Crime Index reported a growth in the black market for weapons, positioning Russia as the second-largest market in Europe after Ukraine, and on par with countries like Pakistan, Ethiopia, Chad, and Nigeria.

Not surprisingly, experts attribute the surge to ongoing military operations. In 2023, military courts processed double the number of cases related to trafficking in firearms, ammunition, and explosives compared to the pre-war period. Conversely, the number of similar cases in civilian courts remained unchanged.

Instances of theft from military facilities contribute to the proliferation of illegal arms. In one case, Alexander Andreychuk, a mobilized soldier, stole weaponry from a base camp in Ukraine, attempting to sell it in Russia before being apprehended by authorities. Similarly, military officer Roman Tseluiko stole a Kalashnikov assault rifle and ammunition from a weapons storage room, aiming to sell them, but was intercepted by security forces.

Weapons from the conflict zones often find their way onto Russian online platforms such as Telegram channels and websites. Despite efforts by Roskomnadzor to block these platforms since 2016, including well-known sites like the Cherny Rynok (Black Market) weapons store, illicit trade persists as trades simply shift domains to evade censorship. In September 2022, Cherny Rynok expanded its operations, offering a range of weapons and permits, with over 237 web addresses leading to illicit gun stores now blocked nationally. More than half were added in 2023.

You Might Also Like

An Air Self Defense
  • March 27, 2024

An Air Self Defense

Some Russian companies are buying their own air defense systems.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955