Desperate Kremlin now claims Ukraine is in bed with Mexican drug cartels as Russia's invasion hits wall

The Kremlin has claimed Ukraine is "deliberately facilitating" drug cartels in a bizarre new statement.

Vladimir Putin's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has accused Kyiv of being used as a "safe corridor" for Mexican cartels to expand their drug trade.

The SVR also claimed Ukraine was turning to unnamed "Latin American criminal groups" for additional revenue - just one day after Mr Putin admitted Russia was facing fuel supply issues and acknowledged "problems" caused by the war.

"The corrupt Zelensky regime is seeking additional revenue, especially given the inability of Western sponsors to meet its insatiable demands," Kremlin goons bristled.

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"Kyiv also values the assistance of Latin American drug cartels in recruiting new mercenaries for the Ukrainian Armed Forces."

The SVR said cartels were working with Kyiv to "expand their supply routes for narcotics, including fentanyl, due to the intensified anti-drug campaign in the US".

The Kremlin added: "Ports in the Odesa region are becoming the primary transshipment point for drug trafficking to Europe via Poland, Moldova, and Romania. Furthermore, Latin American drug cartels are interested in access to the Ukrainian 'black market' for weapons.

"This is a clear illustration of the saying: 'For some it is war, but for others, it is a dear mother.'

"Although, what else can you expect from the regime entrenched in Kyiv, with its drug-addicted elite at the helm?"

The strange Russian proverb invoked refers to profiteering off conflict.

Though Moscow itself has been accused of doing just that by stealing Ukrainian wheat and diverting coal away from Donetsk and Luhansk.

The propaganda message comes as Volodymyr Zelensky declared Ukraine would respond in a "completely just manner" to Russian strikes in Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia which killed 10 and injured dozens more.

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On Monday night, Russia was forced to down 419 Ukrainian drones in its own airspace.

In another blow to Mr Putin, the Russian army has broken 15 of its own deadlines to capture the Donetsk region, with December 31 now pencilled in for a takeover.

Mr Zelensky said: "If Russia does not end its war, they will have to move this deadline again as well.

"If Putin wants to sacrifice another million of his soldiers to keep smashing against this wall, then the million Russians who have not yet been mobilized into the Russian army and are arguing in gas lines should think about what awaits them next."

Russia was revealed to be setting the wheels in motion for a new round of mandatory military call-ups just days ago.

Moscow has mostly filled out its forces with detainees who are offered the option to serve on the frontlines rather than face jail.

Mr Zelensky has accused Mr Putin of trying to further involve Belarus in his invasion as Russia scrambles for allies.

Just last week, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko met with Chinese President Xi Jinping - with Beijing voicing its support for the national sovereignty of Belarus.

That meeting was held a few days after talks between the Russian leader and Mr Lukashenko himself.

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