The impact of the Russian-Ukrainian war on illegal migration as a form of organized crime. the case of the Republic of Moldova

The war in Ukraine is not only an arena of confrontations between states, but one of the primary impetuses for the development of criminal networks, involved in drug and arms trafficking, but also human trafficking. The unjustified aggression of the Russian Federation in Ukraine since 2022 has marked the increase in the number of networks of groups involved in the organization of human trafficking, especially men capable of combat from Ukraine on the territory of the Republic of Moldova. The criminal networks involved in the illegal crossing of the border of the Republic of Moldova operate in close collaboration with those in Ukraine, but also Romania. Lately, the criminal groups involved in human trafficking are increasingly consolidating their position in the Republic of Moldova, including strengthening their activity through cooperation with criminal networks from the neighboring states - Ukraine and Romania. The objective of this article is to highlight the main aspects with reference to the impact of the war in Ukraine on the development of organized crime networks on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, especially criminal networks involved in human trafficking.