Ukraine's evolving firearm landscape post-invasion: What's next?
Ukraine is currently experiencing a significant shift in society's approach to firearm ownership, especially following the Russian invasion in February 2022.
According to "The Sunday Times," prior to the war, most citizens were opposed to liberalizing gun ownership laws. However, the war experiences have altered this perspective—most Ukrainians now support access to firearms for self-defense purposes.
The legal situation regarding firearms in Ukraine is complicated because there is no separate law regulating this issue; only a decree from the Ministry of Internal Affairs exists since 1998.
The procedure for obtaining a gun permit involves undergoing detailed scrutiny and paying a fee. The entire process takes about a month. Ukrainians can own shotguns and semi-automatic rifles, among other things, while pistols are only available as state awards.
Zelensky: We will give weapons to anyone
The invasion 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 started.
During the invasion, the government distributed weapons to civilians, leading to a significant increase in the number of privately held firearms.
In large cities, citizens received assault rifles from government trucks, and an unknown number 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 5 million firearms in circulation
According to estimates by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, there may be between one and five million firearms in circulation, including a large number of captured weapons from Russian soldiers.
Experts fear that without proper control mechanisms, after the war ends, there could be an increase in 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 arms trade in Eastern and Western Europe. – There is no law regulating weapons. No Ukrainian policy for demobilisation, disarmament or the reintegration of veterans into society. There are readily available transit routes in the nearby Balkans to Western Europe – he lists.
