Ukraine's firearm boom: From war necessity to legal limbo
Ukraine is currently experiencing a significant shift in society's approach to firearm ownership, especially following the Russian invasion in February 2022.
As "The Sunday Times" reports, before the war, the majority of citizens opposed liberalizing gun ownership laws. However, the experiences of the conflict have changed this perspective—nowadays, most Ukrainians support access to firearms for self-defense purposes.
The legal situation regarding firearms in Ukraine is complicated because there is no distinct law regulating this issue, only a decree from the Ministry of Internal Affairs dating back to 1998.
The procedure for obtaining a gun permit requires undergoing a detailed check and paying a fee. The whole process takes about a month. Ukrainians can own, among others, shotguns and semi-automatic rifles, while handguns are available only as state awards.
Zelensky: We will give weapons to anyone
The invasion from three years ago further complicated the situation.
"We will give weapons to anyone who wants to defend the country," announced President Volodymyr Zelensky on February 24, 2022, the day the attack began.
During the invasion, the government distributed weapons to civilians, significantly increasing the number of privately held firearms.
In large cities, citizens received assault rifles from government trucks, and an unknown number still remain in private hands today. In Kyiv alone, the government supplied volunteers with over 25,000 assault rifles and about 10 million rounds of ammunition, as well as anti-tank grenades and launchers.
Up to five million firearms in circulation
According to estimates from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, there may be from one to five million firearms in circulation, including a large quantity of seized weapons from Russian soldiers.
Experts fear that without proper control mechanisms, the post-war period could see a growth in the illegal arms trade, posing a threat not only to Ukraine but also to the region and the world.
"What's going to happen after a ceasefire?" asks Brian Lee, an expert in the arms trade in Eastern and Western Europe. "There is no law regulating weapons. No Ukrainian policy for demobilization, disarmament or the reintegration of veterans into society. There are readily available transit routes in the nearby Balkans to Western Europe," he lists.
