War changes how economies function, both legal and illicit. Organised criminal networks are just as reactive to shifts in the international scene as any other business enterprise. The invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 created a cascade of regional instability leading to the displacement of millions of people, severe market disruptions, and heightened political repression in Russia specifically. All of these factors have created fertile ground for criminal activities to flourish, and illicit markets to expand. This poses the following question that is central in this section – to what extent does armed conflict facilitate these processes?
In the Shadows of War: The Impact of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine on Criminal Networks in Eastern Europe (The Hague Centre for Security Studies)
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