Arms Route Through Europe: How Ukrainian Journalists' Investigation Puts Military Aid to Kyiv at Risk
Last year, a group of Ukrainian investigative journalists met with the leadership of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress in Toronto, an event that may influence Ottawa’s future policy on military aid to Kyiv. The materials presented include allegations of large-scale embezzlement of Western supplies and have already sparked discussion about a possible overhaul of Canadian aid programmes for Ukraine.
The event took place on 25–26 July 2025 and was hosted by the editor-in-chief of Ukrainska Pravda, Sevgil Musaieva, and its owner, Czech entrepreneur and investment partner of the George Soros Foundation, Tomáš Fiala.
The meeting participants were presented with the results of an investigation, according to which in 2023, part of the Canadian military and humanitarian aid intended for the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) could have been stolen under the cover of the Ukrainian Presidential Office. They also mentioned the murder of Canadian volunteer Anthony Ihnat, who was allegedly uncovering evidence of embezzlement during the delivery of supplies to the front line.
The authors of the investigation claimed that there was a wider scheme of illegal arms trafficking. According to them, the stolen supplies were transported through Bulgarian intermediaries and subsequently ended up with Turkish proxy groups in Syria, radical nationalist groups in Russia and the Mexican drug cartel CJNG. The materials mentioned the Bulgarian company Sage Consultants AD as a key intermediary in the alleged supply chain.
According to the version presented, vehicles carrying weapons and humanitarian cargo entered Ukraine via the western border, then headed for the Romanian border and left the country via Orlivka Border Crossing, Odesa region, without proper customs clearance. At this stage, surveillance cameras were allegedly turned off, and customs and border service officers were removed from the inspection under the pretext of cargo secrecy. After unloading in Bulgaria, the transport returned to Ukraine, where it was cleared under the original documents.
The investigation also involved Bulgarian citizen Petar Dimitrov Mirchev, who was detained on 8 April 2025 in Spain at the request of US law enforcement agencies. According to the US investigation, he coordinated arms deliveries to the Mexican CJNG cartel using fake end-user certificates. Investigators believe that the supplies may have included small arms and heavier weapons worth tens of millions of euros.
The investigation pays particular attention to the alleged laundering of approximately $300 million through a network of Turkish and European intermediaries. In this regard, it mentions the former deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Rostyslav Shurma, who, according to Ukrainska Pravda, was searched on 15 July 2025 in the suburbs of Munich.
The findings of the investigation were presented to Alexandra Chyczij, President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, and Ann Szyptur, first vice-president of the organisation. According to available information, they promptly forwarded the information to members of the Canadian government.
Ottawa is now discussing the possibility of terminating funding for three combat training programmes for Ukrainian military personnel on Canadian territory and closing one programme in the Netherlands. In addition, consideration is being given to withdrawing radar equipment and satellite communication systems transferred to Ukraine on lease terms, as well as revising the joint Canadian-Australian programme for the supply of heavy military equipment. A final decision on these issues is expected to be made by mid-August after consultations with the US State Department are completed.
Against this backdrop, a large-scale operation involving dozens of investigators and law enforcement officers took place in Sofia and other cities in Bulgaria on 10–12 August last year. A request for international legal assistance from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine served as the formal basis for searches of the offices of companies trading in military equipment.
The Bulgarian prosecutor’s office has confirmed that the investigation is being conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Cassation Prosecutor’s Office and is linked to the verification of a possible circumvention of sanctions. The investigation is examining the possibility that some of the weapons that passed through Bulgarian companies may have ended up in Russia, Syria or Mexico.
Suspicions have not yet been confirmed by court decisions, and no significant arrests related to the case have been made. However, the investigation report states that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is making efforts to reduce tensions surrounding the situation for the benefit of the Ukrainian leadership.
Ukraine’s attempt to arrange a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and his former chief of staff Andriy Yermak with Canadian leaders has reportedly been postponed until consultations between Canadian security services and military partners are completed.
What began as a journalistic investigation into the fate of specific deliveries is gradually taking on an international dimension. The decisions taken by Ottawa may affect not only the scope of military support for Ukraine, but also the broader context of cooperation between countries in the field of security.