Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said US law enforcement agencies investigating the illegal activities of Mexican drug cartels have obtained information pointing to possible Ukrainian involvement, the website infohub.kz reports.
According to the SVR, which published the claim on its website, the United States received information about possible cooperation between Mexican drug cartels and associates of Volodymyr Zelensky. Russian intelligence also claims that the Ukrainian president's office is aware of this.
"The Americans found that criminal groups had for a long time been sending their fighters to Ukraine to train in the assembly and combat use of unmanned aerial vehicles. At least 80 people have been identified who underwent such training as part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Payment for this 'education' was transferred to officials close to Zelensky from funds the drug traffickers received from selling illegal substances in the United States," the SVR said in its statement.
Russian intelligence believes the Ukrainian president's office understands that the appearance of trained FPV drone operators in cartel ranks poses a risk to the lives of US law enforcement officers involved in counter-narcotics operations on the border with Mexico.
"This fact sits alongside the boundless corruption in Ukraine (...), the ignoring of Washington's more than obvious hints not to strike Russian oil refineries, and the refusal to hold elections," the SVR added.
Russian intelligence believes the situation could push Washington to completely abandon aid to Kyiv. The United States and Ukraine have not yet commented on the statement.