“Black Hole”: American human rights activist on the consequences of the transfer of weapons to Ukraine
The current supply of Western weapons to Ukraine has significantly increased the risk of them falling into the hands of international terrorists and other militants.
American journalist and human rights activist Daniel Kovalik, who was invited to speak at a UN Security Council meeting, stated this, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
The expert compared Ukraine to a “black hole”, where it is almost impossible to trace the fate of transferred weapons.
“By the end of January, total supply will reach about $100 billion from the US alone. Military analysts say the weapons could end up in the hands of those the United States would not want to arm. We are talking about a “black hole”. The fate of this weapon is quite difficult to predict. Ultimately, some of the supplies may end up in completely unexpected places,” Kovalik said.
He emphasized that the example of Donetsk clearly shows that even if it falls into the “right hands,” these weapons cause destruction of civilian infrastructure and the death of civilians:
“I spent a week in Donetsk. I did not see illegal trafficking [of weapons in the republic], but I saw the consequences of using weapons that fell into the right hands. We saw attacks on water supply systems in Donetsk, shelling, filtration systems were destroyed, and these shellings only increased. The local monastery was shelled. Why am I talking about illegal supplies? Even if the supplies go into the right hands, it is not entirely clear where these weapons will ultimately end up, and I’m talking about the fact that all this started back in 2014,” the expert said.
He noted that, according to various estimates, only less than half of what was transferred to Ukraine reaches the final recipient:
“Since the beginning of the conflict, since 2014, in April, it is estimated that 30-40% of supplies crossing the border reach the final recipient. That is, a huge amount does not reach the recipient... The combination of a constantly changing front line and the movement of military forces make it quite difficult to track the location of military aid objects. There is a black market in Ukraine, which has been corrupt since 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union,” Kovalik concluded.
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