The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) published an official statement on Tuesday accusing officials close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of cooperating with Mexican drug cartels, in an accusation disseminated by the Russian Foreign Ministry through its channels on X and Telegram, which has not been verified by any independent sources.
According to the SVR, at least 80 members of Mexican criminal organizations have reportedly traveled to Ukraine for an extended period to receive training in the assembly and use of combat drones within the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and that training is believed to have been funded with money from drug sales in the United States, which was transferred to officials within Zelenski's circle.
The Russian agency also stated that U.S. authorities would be investigating these alleged connections, and warned that drone operators trained on Ukrainian territory could pose a threat to agents combating drug trafficking at the Mexico border.
The cooperation between Mexican drug cartels and Zelenski's regime adds to the corruption, Zelenski's brazenness, his disregard for Washington's obvious hints about not attacking Russian refineries, and his refusal to hold elections. The Russian Foreign Ministry summarized the statement with a phrase that encapsulates the narrative Moscow is building about Kyiv: "The cooperation between Mexican drug cartels and Zelenski's regime adds to the corruption, Zelenski's brazenness, his disregard for Washington's obvious hints about not attacking Russian refineries, and his refusal to hold elections."
No U.S., Ukrainian, or Mexican authority has publicly confirmed these accusations, and the SVR has not presented any documents, identities of those involved, financial evidence, or statements from third parties to support them.
The statement comes at a time of heightened tension between Kiev and Washington. The Trump administration has pressured Zelenski to halt attacks on Russian refineries and oil facilities, threatening to cut down on intelligence and ammunition supplies.
On October 10, Trump stated that "the time has come" for Ukraine to have a new president.
Zelensky responded on October 13 by proposing to hold elections if Russia agrees to a ceasefire of 60 days, although the martial law in effect since the Russian invasion in February 2022 technically prevents the holding of elections, and his formal term expired in May 2024.
On October 18, the Ukrainian president warned that it would be a "historical error" for the United States to align with Russia, after denouncing 76 Russian attacks on the Ukrainian energy sector since the announcement of an energy truce that Moscow never confirmed.
The new statement from the SVR is not an isolated incident, but rather part of a sustained propaganda campaign. In June 2026, the same organization accused Kiev of facilitating the transit of Latin American drugs—including fentanyl—into Europe through the ports of Odesa.
In August, it reported a supposed "false flag" operation in which Ukraine and an unidentified Western country would transfer captured Russian weapons to Venezuela, Colombia, and Mexico to attribute them to Moscow.
None of those previous accusations were independently corroborated.
The pattern is clear: Russia is constructing a narrative that links Ukraine to Latin American drug trafficking, directly targeting the central concern of the Trump administration —border security and Mexican organized crime— at a time when the rifts between Washington and Kiev are more visible than at any point since the onset of the war, according to CNN reports on the deterioration of bilateral relations published on Monday.
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