Russia has launched a sharp attack on Western nations, accusing them of turning Ukraine into a "criminal empire" through years of political and military support. A senior Russian Foreign Ministry official claimed that organized crime, including drug trafficking, cyber fraud, illegal arms trade, human trafficking, and migrant smuggling, has flourished in Ukraine. Moscow argued that Western backing of Kyiv has fueled instability and criminal networks, escalating the ongoing war of narratives between Russia and the West amid the Ukraine conflict.