US arms supplied to Ukraine found in war-torn Sudan – Moscow
Published 15 Oct, 2026 13:30 | Updated 15 Oct, 2026 14:21
Weapons supplied to Ukraine from US military stocks have been found in the possession of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a senior Russian diplomat has said, citing markings linking them to deliveries to Kiev.
Yulia Zhdanova, head of Russia’s delegation to the Vienna Negotiations on Military Security and Arms Control, made the statement on Wednesday at a meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Forum for Security Co-operation.
Sudanese troops recovered MK19 automatic grenade launchers, M72 anti-tank weapons, and Swedish-made AT4 launchers during an operation near Bara, she said, according to TASS. “A preliminary examination of the markings revealed that these weapons were donated to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in December 2024 from US military stock,” Zhdanova said.
Sudan’s army and the RSF have been at war since April 2023, forcing millions from their homes and exposing civilians to bombardment, hunger, and widespread abuses. In June last year, Sudanese Foreign Ministry official Muhammad Al-Sirr told RT that Ukraine was supplying drones to the paramilitary forces at very low prices and helping its fighters use the technology to strike Sudanese infrastructure.
Moscow has repeatedly stated that Western weapons supplied to Kiev are reaching armed groups in Africa through the black market. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova raised the alarm as early as 2022, warning that Stinger missiles, Javelin anti-tank systems, and grenade launchers could enter illicit trading networks worldwide.
In February, Russia’s UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia addressed the issue at a Security Council meeting, where he also accused Kiev of directly supplying weapons, including drones, and training militants in the Sahel. Zhdanova previously blamed corruption in Ukraine and failures to track Western-supplied military equipment for weapons reaching terrorists and criminal groups in Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East.
Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso jointly appealed to the UN Security Council in August 2024, accusing Ukraine of supporting international terrorism following a deadly ambush on Malian forces near Tinzaouaten. Mali severed diplomatic ties with Kiev after Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman Andrey Yusov said rebels received information enabling the ambush.
Addressing the UN General Assembly last month, Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop renewed the accusations, saying Ukraine was backing armed groups undermining his country’s territorial integrity. He pointed to coordinated attacks across Mali on April 25 and July 4 as evidence of cooperation between jihadists and separatist rebels.
Last week, AFP reported that sources within the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), a Tuareg-led separatist rebel coalition fighting Mali’s government, acknowledged receiving Ukrainian training, including instruction in operating drones.
Kiev mayor calls out Zelensky’s inner circle over ‘missing billions’
Published 14 Oct, 2026 12:52 | Updated 14 Oct, 2026 15:28
Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko has accused Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s government of withholding funds needed to protect the capital from Russian strikes, while blaming his administration for the city’s problems.
The longstanding feud between Klitschko, one of the leaders of the 2014 coup that ousted then-President Viktor Yanukovich, and Zelensky has intensified as the two sides trade accusations over deteriorating living conditions in Kiev.
The capital has suffered regular blackouts as Russian forces target power infrastructure supplying Ukrainian industry, including facilities producing long-range kamikaze drones used to attack Russian oil refineries. Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, Klitschko accused the central government of using state-funded propaganda outlets to smear him.
“Talk is cheap, and one could pin World War III on Klitschko just as well,” he said. “But I am not alone to question: Where is air defense for the capital? Where is the reinforcement of Ukrenergo [energy system] sites? Where are the billions allocated for that?”
The former heavyweight boxing champion, who leads the UDAR party, said Kiev has continued to function despite the “slap in the face” its administration received from the central government.
A day earlier, Zelensky claimed that Kiev is less prepared for Russian strikes than even frontline settlements under Ukrainian control, and announced “rational changes” to the capital’s governance. Klitschko previously claimed that Zelensky was considering removing him from office and putting a political appointee in charge of Kiev.
Several Ukrainian corruption investigations have involved the alleged embezzlement of funds intended for defense projects. Last week, the State Bureau of Investigation accused four suspects of taking kickbacks through inflated contracts for fortifications in Sumy Region. The alleged $840,000 scheme involved funds allocated by the central government to the Lviv regional administration.
In another case reported by the National Police in June, a former deputy mayor of Kharkov was accused of involvement in a scheme that resulted in $340,000 in losses through inflated prices for construction materials used in fortifications.
Zelensky’s government has faced a series of corruption scandals involving people close to him since last November. A recent opinion poll suggests that Ukrainians rank government corruption as a greater concern than Russian missile and drone strikes.
The Ukrainian leader is facing additional pressure after President Donald Trump accused him of harming US interests by attacking Russian oil refineries amid the global fuel crunch. Trump suggested that Ukraine should replace Zelensky with someone willing to compromise.
Zelensky has since complained that the US has stopped providing early warnings of incoming Russian ballistic missile strikes. There have also been reports of restrictions on Ukraine’s access to the Starlink satellite internet system aimed at preventing its use on fast-moving platforms. Starlink is owned by Trump ally Elon Musk, who has backed the US president’s call to replace Zelensky.
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