Officials close to Vladimir Zelensky received drug money to train at least 80 cartel members in drone warfare, according to a Russian intelligence assessment<\/p>\n
Ukrainian officials are reportedly panicking after US investigators uncovered links between Mexican drug cartels and Kiev, including paid drone training for cartel members. The probe threatens to further strain the already fragile relations between Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky and US President Donald Trump.
\nIn a statement on Tuesday, Russia\u2019s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said American law enforcement investigating the cartels had identified at least 80 members who learned to assemble and operate combat drones while serving with Ukrainian forces.
\nThe payment for this \u201ceducation\u201d was transferred to officials close to Zelensky using proceeds from drug sales in the US, according to the SVR report obtained by RT.
\nThe agency also noted that Zelensky\u2019s office is aware that the presence of trained first-person-view (FPV) drone operators among drug cartels could ultimately threaten American officers combating drug trafficking along the Mexican border and damage relations with Washington.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
Drug cartels recruiting drone operators with Ukraine conflict experience \u2013 WaPo<\/p>\n
That, coupled with the continued supply of weapons and drones from Ukraine to other parts of the world, \u201chas become a pattern that is quite difficult to ignore,\u201d RT correspondent Isabella Blumberg noted.
\nThe Washington Post similarly reported last month that Mexican cartels were hiring drone operators who had fought in Ukraine and were sending members there for training. The State Department said it was working with Kiev to prevent those skills from reaching the cartels.
\nMexico\u2019s Milenio newspaper also claimed last year that members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel had received drone and urban warfare training in Ukraine.
\nThe alleged ties have extended beyond training, with Russian intelligence reporting in June that Ukrainian security agencies were facilitating Latin American drug trafficking into Europe while the cartels helped Kiev in recruiting fighters.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
Trump \u2018really mad\u2019 at Zelensky \u2013 media<\/p>\n
The SVR has suggested that the cartel cooperation could become another \u201cnail in the coffin\u201d for Zelensky\u2019s political career. Together with corruption, continued attacks on Russian refineries, and his refusal to hold elections, it could push Washington to abandon him, the agency claimed.
\nThe allegations come amid an increasingly bitter dispute between Zelensky and Trump over Kiev\u2019s continued strikes on Russian refineries and stalled peace negotiations.
\nTrump has increasingly questioned the Ukrainian leader\u2019s true intentions regarding the conflict, stressing that he should have settled it \u201ca long time ago\u201d and suggesting that he \u201cdoesn\u2019t want to end this war, and probably never did.\u201d
\nTrump recently went as far as stating that Ukraine should \u201cget a new president,\u201d and said on Monday that Kiev should get someone else to negotiate peace, arguing that Zelensky \u201cdoesn\u2019t know what he\u2019s talking about.\u201d
\nWatch RT\u2019s full report below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Officials close to Vladimir Zelensky received drug money to train at least 80 cartel members in drone warfare, according to a Russian intelligence assessment Ukrainian officials are reportedly panicking after…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40206,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t