ORGANIZED CRIME IN WAR CONDITIONS (PROBLEMS OF COUNTERACTION)

Abstract

This article analyzes the challenges of combating organized crime in Ukraine amid the war. The author emphasizes that Russia’s full-scale aggression has significantly exacerbated social, economic, humanitarian, and other problems in Ukraine, a situation that organized crime has exploited to expand its operations. Law enforcement agencies are now facing phenomena that were not previously on such a large scale. The illegal smuggling of people across the state border and the trade in captured weapons and ammunition pose a serious threat to national security. It is noted that, in wartime conditions, organized crime tends to favor methods of committing crimes that are directly linked to the use of modern technologies. The digitization of crime and the active use of AI by organized crime significantly complicate the process of solving and investigating crimes, requiring law enforcement agencies to improve and update their countermeasures, incur additional financial costs, and engage in close international cooperation. The existence of certain systemic vulnerabilities allows organized crime to effectively thwart law enforcement agencies in the performance of their duties, which is unacceptable and requires an immediate and appropriate response from the state. The paper provides a detailed examination of the specific challenges faced by law enforcement agencies in combating organized crime. Particular attention is paid to issues characteristic of frontline regions (using Donetsk Oblast as an example). It is determined that the process of identifying problematic issues, their thorough investigation, and the provision of specific solutions will only contribute positively to increasing the effectiveness of combating organized crime.