EU flags risk of weapons being brought back from Ukraine battlefield
EU countries have reported finding weapon components and military equipment in the possession of combatants returning from Ukraine, raising concerns about battlefield weapons entering the bloc, according to a confidential EU document seen by Euronews.
The document does not link those individuals to organized smuggling but says the cases demonstrate a potential risk of weapons or other military equipment being transported from Ukraine into the EU.
The concern covers both foreign fighters returning from the war and Ukrainians returning from the front, particularly in countries hosting large Ukrainian communities, including Germany, Poland and Czechia.
However, there is currently no evidence of a substantial flow of weapons from Ukraine into neighboring countries. A March report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime cited by Euronews described weapons circulation as a “structural risk,” while the EU document said that so far few weapons had been seized and few arrests made.
EU ambassadors are expected to discuss the issue on Wednesday as European authorities step up efforts to track weapons entering the bloc.
Ukraine has established a National Firearms Focal Point that provides Europol with information on seized, stolen or lost firearms. Europol is also expected to establish a dedicated Firearms Hub by the first quarter of 2027.
Ukraine is expected to adopt a roadmap on combating firearms trafficking by the end of 2026, with benchmarks on the issue included in its EU accession negotiations.