The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said on Monday that an intelligence service of "a Western country" plans to accuse Moscow of supplying weapons to gangs in Latin America.
The SVR said in a statement that the intelligence service working with Ukraine plans to accuse Russia of illegally supplying weapons to drug cartels and other organised crime groups in Venezuela, Colombia and Mexico.
"This time, the events are unfolding on the Latin American stage, and the plot itself resembles a scene from a third-rate crime narcodrama. The plan is to accuse Russia of illegal arms supplies to drug cartels and other criminal groups in Venezuela, Colombia, and Mexico," it said.
According to the agency, Russian-made weapons captured by Ukrainian forces in the conflict had already been brought into the three countries and would be used to create the appearance of illicit arms transfers from Russia.
The agency said fake audio and video recordings, as well as forged documents purportedly showing the involvement of Russian military personnel, were also being prepared.
The SVR said the campaign was intended to damage Russia's relations with Latin American countries and encourage their governments to support Western policies toward Moscow.
"From the very beginning of the Ukrainian conflict, the information war waged by the Euro-Atlantic elites against Russia has been characterised by the planting and promotion of the most vile narratives, beyond the bounds of morality and law," it said.
The intelligence service did not identify the Western country it accused of planning the operation and did not provide publicly verifiable evidence to support its claims.
The SVR also accused Western governments and intelligence agencies of previously using "fabricated incidents" as part of an information campaign against Russia.
